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Effect of space holder agent on microstructural and mechanical properties of commercially pure titanium

  • Asst. Prof. Dr. Eyyup Murat Karakurt, born in 1988, acquired his BSc at Gebze Technical University in Material Science and Engineering in 2011 and his MSc at Adıyaman University in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering in 2017 and his PhD at Brunel University of London in Mechanical Engineering in 2023.His studies include powder metallurgy, permanent titanium-based alloys as implant, welding and boriding.

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Published/Copyright: May 28, 2025
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Abstract

This study aims to produce pure titanium with differing porosity levels for use as a load-bearing implant material that can mimic natural bone structure. Ti + x space holder agent (x: 0, 5, 15, and 20 wt.%) samples were prepared via powder metallurgy route, employing a pressure of 300 MPa followed by sintering at 1200 °C for 6 h. Effect of the space holder agent on the pore characteristics, phase constituent, and mechanical performance, including elastic modulus and ultimate compressive strength, were investigated. Microstructural characterizations were conducted, employing an optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The phase structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the mechanical behaviour of the samples achieved was assessed by uniaxial compression test at room temperature. The results from the current studies revealed that adding space holder agent effectively modified the porosity level and pore characteristics without altering the phase constituent of the samples. As the space holder agent content was increased from 0 to 20 (wt.%), the porosity level of the samples increased from 18 % to 56 %, while the ultimate compressive strength values reduced significantly from 1,236 MPa to 112 MPa.


Corresponding author: Eyyup Murat Karakurt, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Osmaniye Korkut Ata Universitesi, Osmaniye, Türkiye, E-mail:

About the author

Eyyup Murat Karakurt

Asst. Prof. Dr. Eyyup Murat Karakurt, born in 1988, acquired his BSc at Gebze Technical University in Material Science and Engineering in 2011 and his MSc at Adıyaman University in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering in 2017 and his PhD at Brunel University of London in Mechanical Engineering in 2023.His studies include powder metallurgy, permanent titanium-based alloys as implant, welding and boriding.

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Brunel University London for extending the facilities of Material Testing Laboratory to carry out this investigation.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The author states no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Published Online: 2025-05-28
Published in Print: 2025-07-28

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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