Binary titanium-zirconium alloy for surgical implants as well as production process thereof

• US 20050074357A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Straumann Holding AG
• Original Assignee: Institut Straumann AG (Straumann Holding AG)
• Inventors: Steinemann, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US10/750,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074357A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 420/417
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/022 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 14/00 Alloys based on titanium
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/183 of titanium or alloys based thereon

Abstract

The present invention relates to a binary single phase titanium-zirconium alloy suitable for the production of surgical implants. The alloy includes a zirconium content of less than 25% but more than 5% by weight, and 0.1% to 0.3% by weight of oxygen as a strength enhancing additive, and not more than 1% by weight of other strength enhancing additives and technical impurities.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A binary single phase titanium-zirconium alloy suitable for the production of surgical implants, with a zirconium content of less than 25% by weight but more than 5% by weight, comprising 0.1% to 0.3% by weight of oxygen as a strength enhancing additive and not more than 1% by weight of other strength enhancing additives and technical impurities, the alloy being obtainable by a process involving the following steps:

(i) hot forging said alloy at a temperature above alpha/beta phase transition; and

(ii) rapidly cooling said alloy to obtain the single phase titanium-zirconium alloy.

12. The titanium-zirconium alloy as claimed in claim 11, wherein the alloy is subsequently cold processed.

13. Titanium-zirconium alloy as claimed in claim 11, wherein the zirconium content is less than 19% by weight (corresponding to 11 atomic %) but more than 10% by weight (corresponding to 5.5 atomic %).

14. Titanium-zirconium alloy as claimed in claim 11, wherein the zirconium content is 14-15% by weight.

15. A device selected from the group consisting of implants in dental surgery, abutments and elements for suprastructrues comprising the titanium-zirconium alloy of claim 11.

16. Process for production of the allow of claim 11, wherein the forging process is carried out at temperatures above 850°

C., the alloy is then cooled rapidly and subsequently cold worked.

17. A surgical implant comprising the titanium-zirconium alloy of claim 11.

18. An implants for dental surgery, abutments and elements for suprastructures as in claim 17.

19. The titanium-zirconium alloy as in claim 11, wherein the alloy is hot forged and/or cold worked prior to processing into an implant.

20. A process for producing the titanium-zirconium alloy of claim 11 comprising:

(a) forging the alloy in the range of alpha/beta phase transition at 770°

C. to 830°

C.;

(b) cooling the alloy rapidly; and

(c) cold working the alloy.

21. The titanium-zirconium alloy as in claim 11, comprising up to 0.5% by weight of hafnium as part of said technical impurities.