*Article* **Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Titanium–Equine Bone Biocomposites**

#### **Wonki Jeong 1, Se-Eun Shin 1,\* and Hyunjoo Choi 2**


Received: 31 March 2020; Accepted: 24 April 2020; Published: 29 April 2020

**Abstract:** Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V/equine bone (EB) composites fabricated by ball milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS) have been investigated. Ti-6Al-4V/EB composites were successfully fabricated by a planetary ball-milling of spherical Ti6Al4V powder and natural EB powder and SPS at 1000 ◦C within 15 min under 50 MPa. EB was uniformly dispersed in the Ti6Al4V matrix owing to ball-milling, and beta phase transformation temperature of 1000 ◦C provided phase stability. The composites containing 0.5 wt.% EB exhibit Vickers hardness and elastic modulus of 540.6 HV and 130.5 GPa, respectively. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the composites were observed using scanning electron micrograph and nanoindentation.

**Keywords:** metal–matrix composites; titanium alloy design; microstructures; mechanical properties; biocomposites; powder metallurgy
