Biocorrosion and In Vitro Biocompatibility of Additively Manufactured Ti-2Fe Alloy with Superior Mechanical Properties

Additive manufacturing of biomedical titanium (Ti) alloys has attracted significant interest because of their potential use in patient-specific biomedical devices. Iron (Fe), an effective β-stabilizer, is capable of replacing toxic alloying elements, such as aluminum (Al) and vanadium (V), in biocompatible biomedical Ti-alloys. In this study, a Ti-2Fe alloy was produced using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The biocorrosion behavior and cytocompatibility of the synthesized material were systematically studied in conjunction with the mechanical properties. The Ti-2Fe alloy heat-treated at 800 °C for 30 min exhibited excellent mechanical properties (UTS ∼ 781 MPa, TEL ∼ 27.9%) together with high resistance to biocorrosion because of the formation of a stable passive film. Furthermore, because of the low release of Fe ions, cytocompatibility studies showed that the Ti-2Fe alloy had no adverse effects on the morphology or proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. As an alternative to the conventional Ti-6Al-4V alloy, the proposed Ti-2Fe alloy is a viable option for biomedical applications in orthopedics and dentistry.