LAUSR

Solutionized 60NiTi is an attractive material for use in biomedical applications. In this study, the possibility of solutionizing porous 60NiTi parts, with different cost-effective methods, was microstructurally and mechanically investigated. In a series of experiments, an electrically heated open-atmosphere furnace was employed to conduct solutionizing treatment on naked (unwrapped), stainless steel wrapped and vacuum quartz tube sealed 60NiTi samples. Specimens treated under these conditions were finally quenched with water. Tube sealed samples could form a desirable phase structure dominated by biocompatible austenitic B2 NiTi phase and exhibited superior mechanical properties as compared to samples prepared under other conditions. In another series, naked samples were solutionized with an Abar vacuum furnace and quenched with high-pressure back fill of ~ 105 Pa nitrogen gas. It was deduced that the cooling rate (~ 86 °C/min) was not fast enough in this method to prevent the precipitation of soft thermodynamic Ni-rich phases, thus making the solutionizing treatment ineffective.