Development and characterization of silver, zirconium dioxide, and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles reinforced titanium-based nanocomposites

Current challenges associated with titanium (Ti) and its alloys in biomedical applications motivate researchers to find alternatives. Many researchers suggest the potential benefits of nanoparticles (NPs) due to their novel characteristics. Considering this, different percentages of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), zirconium dioxide nanoparticles (ZrO ₂ NPs), and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs) have been reinforced with titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) to form titanium-based nanocomposites by applying sintering method. The developed nanocomposite samples (sample 1 and sample 2) have been characterized by hardness, surface roughness, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD). Maximum hardness 49 in Rockwell hardness in C scale has been obtained from sample 2 and minimum hardness 42 from sample 1: the highest average surface roughness, 6.5 µm, received from sample 1 and minimum average surface roughness 5.2 µm from sample 2. Higher average surface roughness helps to improve the osseointegration properties of the materials. The FTIR spectra identified different functional groups (-OH, C-H, and Ti-OH). The NPs are uniformly distributed in the samples. The presence of micropores is identified, which may influence the mechanical properties of the materials. Sharp peaks formed in the XRD spectra confirm the crystallinity of the developed samples.