抄録
Recently, titanium-tantalum alloys have been studied as implant materials for dental and orthopedic surgery. However, titanium and tantalum are difficult to mix by common arc melting and induction melting, because of their high melting point and the marked difference between their densities (Ti: 1, 680°C, 4.5g/cm3, Ta: 2, 990°C, 16.6g/cm3). Thus, the Cold Crucible Levitation Melting (CCLM) method was chosen to produce a Ti-30wt% Ta binary alloy in the present study. The CCLM furnace, with 1kg capacity, consisted of a water-cooled crucible comprising oxygen-free high purity copper segments and coils wrapped around the crucible and connected to a frequency inverter power supply. A qualified ingot of 1.0kg of Ti-30wt% Ta alloy was obtained. The ingot was characterized from the surface quality, chemical composition distribution and microstructure, and finally the melting process was discussed.
