Materials Science Forum, Vol.486-487, 197-200, 2005
Mechanical properties of Al2O3-TiO2-SiC nanocomposites for the femoral head of hip joint replacement
Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3-TiO2-SiC nanocomposites were studied. To improve the mechanical and tribological properties of alumina, nano-sized TiO2 and SiC powders were dispersed. Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique, at 1400 degrees C, 50 MPa for 5 minutes, was applied for the densification of Al2O3-TiO2-SiC nanocomposites. Characterization of Al2O3-TiO2-SiC nanocomposites was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer and EDX. Fracture toughness and Vickers hardness were estimated by indentation technique. These experimental results on mechanical properties of Al2O3-TiO2-SiC nanocomposites indicated that they can be a potential material with high hardness and high fracture toughness to be used as femoral head in total hip joint replacement.