Effect of Heat Treatment and Alloying Elements On Precipitation and Surface Behavior of Co-Cr-Mo ALLOYS
Effect of Heat Treatment and Alloying Elements On Precipitation and Surface Behavior of Co-Cr-Mo ALLOYS
Effect of Heat Treatment and Alloying Elements On Precipitation and Surface Behavior of Co-Cr-Mo ALLOYS
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ABSTRACT
The microstructures of as-cast and heat-treated Co-Cr-Mo with addition of C, Si and Mn have been investigated
with a focus on phase and dissolution of precipitates. The heat treatment temperatures and heating periods employed
ranged from 1448 to 1548 K and 0 to 43.2 ks, respectively. The precipitates observed in the as-cast and heat-treated alloys
were carbides (M23C6, eta-phase, and pi-phase) and an intermetallic compound of chi-phase. Chi-phase was detected in the
sample with lowest carbon content of this study, 0.15 wt%. The addition of Si seemed to increase the heating time for
complete precipitate dissolution because of the effects of Si on the promotion of pi-phase formation at high temperatures
and the increased carbon activity in the Co matrix. After polarization test in simulated body fluid to the single phase-
contained specimens, it showed that chi-phase drastically decreased the corrosion resistance of the alloy. The alloys with
chi-phase and M23C6 precipitates have lower corrosion resistance than those with pi-phase.
INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENTAL
Co-Cr-Mo [1] alloys have been used for
biomedical implants for a number of years. They are now Specimens
frequently used for the metal-on-metal hip resurfacing The chemical compositions of the alloys used in
joints due to their high corrosion and wear performance this study are listed in Table-1. Alloy ingots were prepared
[2]. The corrosion and wear-resistant properties of cast by using an induction melting furnace under Ar
Co-Cr-Mo alloys are related to the precipitates existence atmosphere and cast in a copper mold.
in the Co matrix [3]. In Co-Cr-Mo ASTM F75 alloys, the
major precipitate was M23C6, wherein M is metallic Table-1. Chemical composition of as-cast alloys (wt%).
elements of the alloys. Other precipitates were determined
as a minor precipitates, such as eta-phase and intermetallic Sample Cr Mo C Si Mn Co
sigma-phase [4]. C15 27.1 5.61 0.13 1.33 0.02 64.19
Thermal treatments are used on these alloys in
attempt to alter the microstructure in terms of precipitates C25 27.7 6.1 0.26 1.14 0.04 65.81
to improve the properties of the alloy [4, 5]. Several C35 27.7 6.0 0.38 1.20 0.01 64.71
investigations have focused on examining the behavior of
precipitates during solution treatment. It is known that the Heat treatment and analysis
addition of some elements to biomedical Co-Cr-Mo alloys The alloys were inserted into a tube furnace at
affects the phases of precipitates. Lee et al. reported the 1448-1548 K under Ar atmosphere for soaking time 0 to
sigma-phase formation increases with the Fe addition in 43.2 ks. After heating, the alloys were quenched
Co-Cr-Mo-(5-20wt %) Fe alloys [6]. The existence of immediately in the water. The specimens was
metal carbides is revealed in Co-Cr-Mo alloy with zircon mechanically ground with emery paper and polished with
and carbon [7]. Moreover, nitrogen is known to suppress 1m diamond liquid. For microstructural observations, the
the formation of sigma-phase [8]. However, the effect of specimens were electrolytically etched in 10%H2SO4 and
precipitates on the corrosion behavior is less well methanol solution at 6 V.
understood. There is a concern that corrosion processes are Corrosion test of the alloys contains single phase
the cause of in-vivo failures, leading to retrieval of thetaM23C6, pi and chi was conducted in Kokubo
operations. The release of metal ions due to corrosion is solution. A saturated calomel reference electrode, SCE and
thought to have adverse affects on the surrounding body a platinum plate as counter electrode were used. The
tissue and ultimately leads to failure of the implant [2]. potential was standardized versus SCE. The reference
This study was carried out to investigate the electrode was located in the same cell to the specimen
formation of secondary phases in Co-Cr-Mo F75 alloys because the salt bridge caused the delay of responses to
before and after heat treatment. The effect of heat the rapid change in potential of the specimen. The
treatment and alloying elements on precipitation and specimen was mounted by resin and it was charged at 0.85
corrosion of alloy’s surface after polarization test were V (vs. SCE) for 0.12ks using a potentiostat. The
investigated. microstructures of the as-cast and heat-treated alloys and
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treatment at high temperatures such as 1548 K were pi- However, pi-phase appeared to form during the
phase and M23C6 carbide, whereas M23C6was mainly initial heat treatment at high temperatures and coexisted
observed in all the alloys heat-treated from 1448 to 1498 with the melt [16] [17], this caused an increase in the
K. After heat treatment, complete precipitates dissolution holding time for the complete precipitate dissolution of the
in C35 alloy was not achieved, even in heating C15 alloy at these temperatures. Moreover, it is known
temperature of 1548 K and 43.2 ks of heating time, as that the thermodynamic activity of carbon in iron-based
shown in Figure-4 (a). This was very understandable alloys is increased by the addition of Si [18]. Although
considering the as-cast C35 alloys had the highest content data on the carbon activity in Co-Cr-Mo alloys have not
of precipitates because this alloys had the highest carbon been reported previously, the increase in the carbon
content. This caused the precipitates did not have enough activity in the C35 alloy was another possible mechanism
time to dissolved during heat treatment. Chi-phase was by which the dissolution rates decreased and the holding
observed in the C15 alloy after heat treatment at 1448- time for complete precipitate dissolution increased. In the
1523 K for a short heating time, same as under as-cast case of the C15 alloy, the holding time for complete
condition. Particularly, the single phase of chi-phase was precipitate dissolution at 1548 K was longer than that at
obtained at 1523 K for a heating time of 1.8 ks. However, 1523 K. Hence, the C curve representing the boundary
in Co-Cr-Mo alloys, the formation of chi-phase can be between the complete and incomplete dissolution
found in limited heat treatment temperature and chemical conditions with a nose at 1523 K, as shown in Figure-4
composition, as shown in Figure-4 (c). Therefore, it is not (c). The C curve of the boundary has been reported for Co-
very difficult to avoid the formation of chi-phase in the Cr-Mo-C alloys [18] [19]. Partial melting in the alloys
manufacturing process of Co-Cr-Mo alloys. At high associated topi phase formation was caused by the non-
temperatures, C15 alloy showed a longer heating time for uniformity of the cast microstructure around the nose
complete precipitate dissolution, even though the carbon temperature. This is considered to be related to the C
content of this alloy was the lowest. The difference in the curve. Two precipitate shapes, blocky and star-shaped,
precipitate phases and microstructures in the as-cast and were observed as shown in Figure-3. In the alloys heat-
heat-treated alloys appeared to affect the apparent treated over the temperature range of 1448-1498 K, the
dissolution rates. This might be has a correlations to the morphology of the M23C6 type carbide was blocky-dense.
formation of pi-phase that found in the as-cast alloys. At 1548 K, the precipitate shape formed in the alloys was
primarily a starlike. The starlike precipitate had two
appearances: dense and stripe. This stripe-pattern is
consisted of M23C6 type carbide and metallic gamma-
phase FCC [21].
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corrosive area. The wider area for precipitation might heating time for complete precipitate dissolution. Blocky-
decrease the corrosion resistance in the Co-matrix area. dense M23C6 carbide was observed in the alloys heat-
treated over the low temperature range of 1448-1498 K. At
high temperatures such as 1548 K, two types of star-
shaped precipitates, dense and stripe-patterned, were
observed. The corrosion resistances of the alloys contained
a single chi-phase and M23C6 carbide was inferior to those
of pi-phase in simulated body fluids.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge the
contributions from Kementerian Riset, Teknologidan
Pendidikan Tinggi of Indonesia and Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of
Japan.
REFERENCES
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