Deformation-induced ω phase in modified Ti–29Nb–13Ta–4.6Zr alloy by Cr addition

For spinal-fixation applications, implants should have a high Young’s modulus to reduce springback during operations, though a low Young’s modulus is required to prevent stress shielding for patients after surgeries. In the present study, Ti–29Nb–13Ta–4.6Zr alloy (TNTZ) with a low Young’s modulus was modified by adding Cr to obtain a higher deformation-induced Young’s modulus in order to satisfy these contradictory requirements. Two newly designed alloys, TNTZ–8Ti–2Cr and TNTZ–16Ti–4Cr, possess more stable β phases than TNTZ. These alloys consist of single β phases and exhibit relatively low Young’s moduli of <65 GPa after solution treatment. However, after cold rolling, they exhibit higher Young’s moduli owing to a deformation-induced ω-phase transformation. These modified TNTZ alloys show significantly less springback than the original TNTZ alloy based on tensile and bending loading–unloading tests. Thus, the Cr-added TNTZ alloys are beneficial for spinal-fixation applications.