Properties of experimental titanium-silver-copper alloys for dental applications.

The aim of this study was to develop Ti-Ag-Cu alloys with a higher corrosion resistance, better biocompatibility, and better mechanical properties than commercially pure titanium and its alloys. The microstructure, corrosion resistance, mechanical property and cytotoxicity of the Ti-Ag-Cu alloys were investigated. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by open circuit potential measurements and potentiodynamic polarization tests in artificial saliva at 37 degrees C. The mechanical properties were evaluated using tensile and microhardness tests. The biocompatibility was tested by evaluating the cytotoxicity of the alloys using an agar-overlay test and MTT assay. It was found that the open circuit potentials of the Ti-Ag-Cu alloys were higher than that of pure Ti. However, the passive current densities of the Ti-Ag-Cu alloys were similar to that of pure titanium. The mechanical properties improved with increasing Ag and Cu content. All the Ti-Ag-Cu alloys examined were found to be noncytotoxic similar to pure Ti. Therefore, Ti-Ag-Cu alloys can be used as biomaterials in the dental field. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.