Prospects for the Use of Metallic Titanium in Medicine

Introduction. Ukraine has unique deposits of titanium ores from which high-quality metal titanium products can be made. Not all countries that develop the titanium industry have natural resources of such a quality level. In particular, China is forced to import titanium ore for the production of titanium products for the aerospace industry and the medical field. The domestic mining industry and non-ferrous metallurgy face the urgent task of using available resources as efficiently as possible. The processing of titanium ores into titanium alloys for medical purposes can become a powerful stimulus for the development of domestic non-ferrous metallurgy and increase the export potential. In this context, the purpose of the article was to assess the prospects for the use of metallic titanium in medicine and to forecast the demand for titanium and titanium alloys for medical purposes until 2030. Materials and methods. The following methods were used to conduct the research: economic-statistical, monographic, analysis and synthesis, system approach, etc. The information base of the study was the data of the UN Comtrade Database and Internet resources. Results and discussion. Titanium and its alloys are most likely to be in high demand among manufacturers of medical products in the medium term. This is evidenced by three forecast scenarios for the growth of the world market of medical titanium alloys. The growth of this market is also predicted by a pessimistic scenario, according to which titanium will lose its competitiveness in relation to other biomaterials. As a result of scientific and technical progress, many new alternative biomaterials for internal and external prosthetics appear on the market. However, according to the results of the study, by the 2030 it is most likely that titanium and alloys will retain their position in the market of medical biomaterial. Conclusions. The analysis of scientific publications shows significant prospects of metal titanium and titanium alloys in the medical field. This applies to both traditional materials (technically pure titanium, Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy) and innovative materials containing titanium (nitinol, amorphous metal, etc.). Thus, in conditions of rapid scientific and technical progress, titanium continues to remain an indispensable element in the production of medical products for internal and external prosthetics. The emergence and rapid development of additive technologies causes structural changes in the market of biomaterials. In particular, there is a tendency to replace titanium ingots with titanium powders. The use of 3D printers in the production of medical products significantly increases the efficiency of the work of surgeons and dental technicians, increases the percentage of successful operations and improves the recovery process of patients. Among the factors that determine the demand for medical titanium, the following should be noted: the cost of titanium production, competition from other biomaterials, population growth, an increase in the proportion of elderly people, state programs to stimulate endoprosthetics, globalization of medical services, etc.