A new Ti-5Ag alloy for customized prostheses by three-dimensional printing (3DP)

J Dent Res. 2001 Mar;80(3):860-3. doi: 10.1177/00220345010800030301.

Abstract

Three important considerations in the fabrication of customized cranio-maxillofacial prostheses are geometric precision, material strength, and biocompatibility. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a rapid part-fabrication process that can produce complex parts with high precision. The aim of this study was to design, synthesize by 3DP, and characterize a new Ti-5Ag (wt%) alloy. Silver nitrate was found to be an appropriate inorganic binder for the Ti powder-based skeleton, and the optimum sintering parameters for full densification were determined. The hardness of the Ti-5Ag alloy was shown to be much higher than that of a pure titanium sample. Potentiodynamic measurements, carried out in saline solution at body temperature, showed that the Ti-5Ag alloy had good passivation behavior, similar to that of pure titanium. It is concluded that the Ti-Ag system may be suitable for fabrication of customized prostheses by 3DP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Alloys / chemical synthesis
  • Alloys / chemistry*
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Chemistry, Physical
  • Computer Simulation
  • Computer-Aided Design*
  • Corrosion
  • Crystallography
  • Electrochemistry
  • Hardness
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Maxillofacial Prosthesis*
  • Metallurgy
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Potentiometry
  • Prosthesis Design*
  • Silver / chemistry*
  • Silver Nitrate / chemistry
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature
  • Titanium / chemistry*
  • Vacuum
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Alloys
  • Silver
  • Sodium Chloride
  • Silver Nitrate
  • Titanium