AccScience Publishing / MSAM / Volume 4 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.36922/MSAM025220044
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of laser-powder bed fusion-fabricated Ti-10Ta-2Nb-2Zr alloy as a potential orthopedic implant material

Igor Polozov1* ,  Victoria Nefyodova1 ,  Anton Zolotarev1 ,  Anatoly Popovich1
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1 Scientific and Educational Center, Structural and Functional Materials, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
MSAM 2025, 4(3), 025220044 https://doi.org/10.36922/MSAM025220044
Received: 30 May 2025 | Accepted: 9 July 2025 | Published online: 12 August 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Titanium alloys are gaining attention for their potential to improve implant performance in biomedical applications. This study investigates the Ti-10Ta-2Nb-2Zr alloy fabricated using laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) for potential biomedical applications. The research aims to examine the influence of processing parameters on material structure and properties, and to develop porous structures based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) to reduce elastic modulus and improve mechanical compatibility with bone tissue. Spherical Ti-10Ta-2Nb-2Zr powder was processed using L-PBF with varying laser power (250 – 280 W), scanning speed (500 – 1000 mm/s), and hatch spacing (80 – 100 μm). Maximum relative density of 99.91% was achieved at volumetric energy density of 70 J/mm3. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed the β-transus temperature at 862°C. Microstructural analysis showed the formation of martensitic α’-phase in the as-built condition with acicular morphology. Heat treatment at 900°C resulted in the formation of a lamellar α + β structure. Mechanical properties in the as-built condition were characterized by yield strength of 551.8 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 641.2 MPa, elongation of 19.0%, and elastic modulus of 89.0 GPa. After heat treatment, strength characteristics decreased by 15 – 18%, whereas elastic modulus reduced to 86.0 GPa. TPMS porous structures (gyroid, Schwarz, and split) with 50% porosity demonstrated an elastic modulus of 9.2 – 9.7 GPa, representing approximately 18% of the solid material value. These results demonstrate the potential of Ti-10Ta-2Nb-2Zr as a promising alternative to conventional Ti-6Al-4V for orthopedic applications, offering enhanced mechanical properties and reduced stress shielding due to its lower elastic modulus and tailored porous architectures.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Titanium alloy
Laser powder bed fusion
Biomaterials
Triply periodic minimal surfaces
Mechanical properties
Microstructure
Funding
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (agreement No. 075-15-2024-562).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Materials Science in Additive Manufacturing, Electronic ISSN: 2810-9635 Published by AccScience Publishing
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