The Influence of Iron Addition on Microstructure, Mechanical, Electrochemical Properties and Biocompatibility of Ti–6Mo–8Cr Alloy for Bone Implant Application

A large percentage of implants are made of metal-based biomaterials, which have issues with mechanical performance and biocompatibility. Because of their advantageous qualities, titanium alloys—especially Ti6Al4V—are used extensively; nonetheless, issues have been raised about the release of aluminum (Al) and vanadium (V) ions and the health problems that go along with them. Furthermore, Ti6Al4V’s elastic modulus (110 GPa) is significantly greater than that of human bone (10–40 GPa), which might result in stress shielding phenomena that could lead to implant failure. To overcome these obstacles, this work explores the consequences of adding iron (Fe) to a unique Ti–6Mo–8Cr alloy. Fe raises the hardness of the alloy and decreases its elastic modulus while intensifying the β phase. Furthermore, a higher corrosion potential in 0.9% NaCl indicates that Fe inclusion greatly increases corrosion resistance while preserving biocompatibility, as shown by the non-toxicity to bone marrow stem cells. These results demonstrate the promise of Fe-modified Ti–6Mo–8Cr alloys as biomaterials for various biomedical uses, especially in resolving the biological and mechanical issues with traditional titanium alloys.