Ti-6Al-4V

Ti-6Al-4V (UNS designation R56400), also sometimes called TC4, Ti64,[1] or ASTM Grade 5, is an alpha-beta titanium alloy with a high specific strength and excellent corrosion resistance. It is one of the most commonly used titanium alloys and is applied in a wide range of applications where low density and excellent corrosion resistance are necessary such as e.g. aerospace industry and biomechanical applications (implants and prostheses).

Studies of titanium alloys used in armors began in the 1950s at the Watertown Arsenal, which later became a part of the Army Research Laboratory.[2][3]

A 1948 graduate of MIT, Stanley Abkowitz (1927-2017) was a pioneer in the titanium industry and is credited for the invention of the Ti-6Al-4V during his time at the US Army’s Watertown Arsenal Laboratory in the early 1950s.[4]

Titanium/Aluminum/Vanadium alloy was hailed as a major breakthrough with strategic military significance. It is the most commercially successful titanium alloy and is still in use today, having shaped numerous industrial and commercial applications.[5]

Increased use of titanium alloys as biomaterials is occurring due to their lower modulus, superior biocompatibility and enhanced corrosion resistance when compared to more conventional stainless steels and cobalt-based alloys.[6] These attractive properties were a driving force for the early introduction of α (cpTi) and α+β (Ti—6Al—4V) alloys as well as for the more recent development of new Ti-alloy compositions and orthopaedic metastable b titanium alloys. The latter possess enhanced biocompatibility, reduced elastic modulus, and superior strain-controlled and notch fatigue resistance.[7] However, the poor shear strength and wear resistance of titanium alloys have nevertheless limited their biomedical use. Although the wear resistance of b-Ti alloys has shown some improvement when compared to a#b alloys, the ultimate utility of orthopaedic titanium alloys as wear components will require a more complete fundamental understanding of the wear mechanisms involved.

  1. ^ Paul K. Chu; XinPei Lu (15 July 2013). Low Temperature Plasma Technology: Methods and Applications. CRC Press. p. 455. ISBN 978-1-4665-0991-7.
  2. ^ "Founding of ARL". www.arl. army.mil. Army Research Laboratory. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  3. ^ Gooch, William A. "The Design and Application of Titanium Alloys to U.S. Army Platforms -2010" (PDF). U.S. Army Research Laboratory. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Stan Abkowitz, '48 – MIT Technology Review". 18 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Stanley Abkowitz, 90; Titanium Industry Pioneer - International Titanium Association".
  6. ^ Long, M.; Rack, H.J. (1998). "Titanium alloys in total joint replacement—a materials science perspective". Biomaterials. 18 (19): 1621–1639. doi:10.1016/S0142-9612(97)00146-4. PMID 9839998.
  7. ^ Gutmanas, E.Y.; Gotman, I. (2004). "PIRAC Ti nitride coated Ti–6Al–4V head against UHMWPE acetabular cup–hip wear simulator study". Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. 15 (4): 327–330. doi:10.1023/B:JMSM.0000021096.77850.c5. PMID 15332594. S2CID 45437647.