Densification and Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties of Low-Cost Powder Metallurgy TiCu Intermetallic Alloy as a Potential Biomedical Material

Ti-Cu intermetallic alloys are considered as a potential substitute for conventional dental cast alloys due to their enhanced mechanical, antibacterial, and biocompatibility behaviors. In this paper, the effects of sintering temperature on the densification, hardness, and antibacterial activity of a Ti-Cu alloy obtained by a solid-state reaction have been studied. The TiCu and Ti(2)Cu(3)phases were identified as the major phases in the microstructure of the synthesized material. The high hardness of approximate to 1000 HV and high antibacterial activity againstS. aureusandE. coliwere obtained for the Ti-Cu intermetallic alloy. The high hardness of the Ti-Cu alloy was attributed to its nanocrystalline grains, multi-phase structure and the large amounts of hard TiCu and Ti(2)Cu(3)phases in the microstructure, and its antibacterial behavior was due to the release of Cu(2+)ions around the sample in culture media of bacteria.