Refractory metal niobium (Nb) incorporated with a small amount of silver (Ag), the resulting Nb-Ag two-phase alloys, were fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. The microstructure, mechanical properties, wear resistance, corrosion behavior, in vitro and in vivo antibacterial properties and biocompatibility of the Nb-Ag alloys were systematically investigated. The results show that the mechanical properties, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and antibacterial ability were significantly enhanced after addition of 5 at.% Ag. The fabricated Nb-5 at.% Ag alloy demonstrates high yield strength of up to ∼ 1486 MPa and fracture strain of ∼ 35 %. The precipitated Ag particles could reduce friction and wear. The enhanced corrosion resistance was attributed to the higher relative density of the sintered alloys and the formation of a stable and dense passive film of niobium and silver oxides. In vitro and in vivo evaluations show that the Nb-5 at.% Ag alloy also has strong antibacterial activity and good biocompatibility and osteointegration ability. These results demonstrate great potential of the nanostructured Nb-Ag alloys for dental and orthopedic implants.

通过机械合金化和火花等离子体烧结制备了难熔金属铌（Nb）和少量的银（Ag），即所得的Nb-Ag两相合金。体内和体外的微观结构，力学性能，耐磨性，腐蚀行为系统地研究了Nb-Ag合金的抗菌性能和生物相容性。结果表明，加入5at。％的Ag后，机械性能，耐磨性，耐腐蚀性和抗菌能力得到显着提高。制成的Nb-5 at。％Ag合金显示出高达〜1486 MPa的高屈服强度和〜35％的断裂应变。沉淀的银颗粒可以减少摩擦和磨损。增强的耐腐蚀性归因于烧结合金的较高的相对密度以及铌和银氧化物的稳定且致密的钝化膜的形成。体外和体内评估表明，Nb-5 at。Ag合金还具有很强的抗菌活性以及良好的生物相容性和骨整合能力。这些结果证明了纳米结构Nb-Ag合金在牙科和整形外科植入物中的巨大潜力。