Papers by Author: Takayoshi Nakano

Abstract: The electron-atom ratio (e/a) dependence of the appearance of the lattice modulation and physical properties in β-phase Ti-xNb alloys (x = 28, 30, 34 and 40) were investigated by using some physical properties measurements, compressive test and transmission electron microscope observations (TEM observations), focusing on the β-phase stability. The microstructure, physical properties, deformation mode depend on the e/a ratio which is closely related to the β-phase stability in Ti-Nb alloys. The e/a ratio is defined by the average electrons per atom in free atom configuration. Athermal ω-phase is suppressed in Ti-30Nb alloy single crystal with low e/a ratio. The Ti-30Nb alloy single crystal also exhibits a lattice modulation and low Debye temperature. These results imply that the β-phase stability in β-phase Ti alloys decreases with decreasing the e/a ratio and are related to the softening of elastic stiffness, c′. Consequently, a decrease in the e/a ratio leads to the softening of c′ and a significant reduction in modulus along the [100] direction in β-phase Ti alloys single crystal. In fact, the Young’s modulus along [100] of the Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al alloy (wt.%) single crystal with low e/a ratio exhibits as low as 45 GPa, which is comparable to that the human cortical bone. That is, controlling the e/a ratio is an ultimate strategy to develop the future superior biocompatible implant materials with extremely low Young’s modulus and good deformability.

Abstract: The development of the implant material which works much like bone must be an intrinsic approach to reduce the mechanical mismatch. Bone expresses the anisotropy of the mechanical characteristics based on the microstructual adaptation attributed to the apatite c-axis orientation corresponding to in vivo stress distribution. Therefore, the control of microstructure of implant material was performed by laser beam sintering technique aiming at the modification of mechanical property. The Co-Cr alloy products with three-dimensional geometry were successfully fabricated by laser beam sintering based on the design model. The grain showed an elongated dendritic morphology and aligned along the build direction during laser beam sintering. The crystallographic texture was developed responsible for the macroscopic heat flow along the build direction rather than the macroscopic one through the structures. Thus, the microstructure involving the grain morphology and crystallographic texture formation was anisotropically controlled by laser beam sintering technique. The mechanical properties could be modified anisotropically by the oriented microstructure in the Co-Cr alloy structures with three-dimensional geometry for the biomedical applications.

Abstract: Constructing biomimetic tissue architecture in vitro holds the key to the realization of tissue engineering. To control the anisotropic microstructure of bone tissue which governs the mechanical properties of bone, especially, is imperative for the establishment of ideal bone regeneration process. In this study, highly aligned collagen scaffolds were fabricated to control osteoblast alignment. Collagen fibrillogenesis were regulated by an extrusion process, resulting in formation of biomimetic, hierarchically-aligned bony microstructure. Osteoblasts adhered to the fabricated scaffolds showed aligned morphology along the collagen orientation. In the present method, the degree of scaffold orientation is regulatable, which suggests that the designing of the appropriate scaffolds depending on the tissue anisotropy is possible. Interestingly, the bone matrix produced by the aligned osteoblasts exhibited anisotropic microstructure along the cell alignment. Our findings imply that controlling the osteoblast alignment by oriented collagen scaffolds could be an initiator to establish the anisotropic bone structural development or regeneration.

Abstract: Most bones are anisotropically loaded and seem to be adapted to the anisotropic stress or strain field by changing the anisotropy in their microstructure. Osteocyte (OCY) is believed to play an important role as a mechanosensor and regulator of modeling and/or remodeling orchestrating osteoblast and osteoclast activity to make bone suitable to resist the mechanical environment. In general, osteocytes sense magnitude of stress (strain) applied upon the bone and then work as a trigger to change bone mass to adjust bone’s mechanical function to the stress field. This structural optimization is an important aspect of the bone functional adaptation; another inevitable optimization might be achieved through the change in intrinsic material anisotropy including the preferential c-axis orientation of biological apatite (BAp) crystal. To achieve this adaptation through material anisotropy, osteocyte needs to be a mechanosensor which can detect anisotropic stress field. In the present study, osteocyte lacunae and canaliculi in the mid-diaphysis and the distal part of the rat femur were stained by a fluorescein dye for visualization and analysis. The mid-diaphysis shows greater degree of the preferential c-axis orientation of BAp crystal than the distal part in relation to the magnitude of uni-axial stress field. It was found that the osteocytes in long bone preferentially align along the bone long axis and the degree of alignment is greater in the mid-diaphysis than in the distal region, which seems to be effective for the sensation of the site-dependent specific stress field applied on the long bone.

Abstract: NbSi₂/MoSi₂ duplex silicide crystals are potentially a new-class of ultra-high temperature structural materials. Improvement in the thermal stability of their lamellar microstructure was accomplished by the addition of a minute amount of either Cr or Zr. The mechanical properties of the duplex silicide, such as fracture toughness and high temperature strength, show strong orientation dependence, thereby suggesting the importance of the control of microstructure to improve their properties.

Abstract: Bone microstructure is dominantly composed of anisotropic extracellular matrix (ECM) in which collagen fibers and epitaxially-oriented biological apatite (BAp) crystals are preferentially aligned depending on the bone anatomical position, resulting in exerting appropriate mechanical function. The regenerative bone in bony defects is however produced without the preferential alignment of collagen fibers and the c-axis of BAp crystals, and subsequently reproduced to recover toward intact alignment. Thus, it is necessary to produce the anisotropic bone-mimetic tissue for the quick recovery of original bone tissue and the related mechanical ability in the early stage of bone regeneration. Our group is focusing on the methodology for regulating the arrangement of bone cells, the following secretion of collagen and the self-assembled mineralization by oriented BAp crystallites. Cyclic stretching in vitro to bone cells, principal-stress loading in vivo on scaffolds, step formation by slip traces on Ti single crystal, surface modification by laser induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS), anisotropic collagen substrate with the different degree of orientation, etc. can dominate bone cell arrangement and lead to the construction of the oriented ECM similar to the bone tissue architecture. This suggests that stress/strain loading, surface topography and chemical anisotropy are useful to produce bone-like microstructure in order to promote the regeneration of anisotropic bone tissue and to understand the controlling parameters for anisotropic osteogenesis induction.

Abstract: MoSi₂–based alloys are attracting attention as ultra-high temperature structural material for super-high efficiency gas turbine power generation systems. In this study, the effects of Cr-and Zr-addition on interface migration in MoSi₂/NbSi₂ lamellar silicide were examined by phase field simulations employing the segregation energies evaluated by the first principles calculation in addition to thermodynamic free energy in order to take into account the chemically-driven interfacial segregation. The simulation results indicate that both Cr and Zr can segregate at the lamellar interface to suppress its migration, and the Zr-addition is more effective to lower the interface migration rate than the Cr-addition owing to its higher segregation energy.

Abstract: Following artificial hip joint implantation, a stress inhibition, applied to bone in the surroundings of implants, causes a structural change in bone called bone loss. To evaluate the bone mechanical characteristics, it is essential to investigate the elastic properties of cortical bone. In this article a pair of donor femora was investigated, one with an implant and the other without. Differences in Speed of Sound (SOS), a parameter reflecting elastic properties, were measured in both femora by ultrasound transmission. As a result, in almost all areas, the femur that was implanted showed significantly lower cortical SOS. Our results indicated that the change in the mechanical function of bone, due to the introduction of femoral implants, could be evaluated by the measurement of SOS.

Abstract: Electron beam melting (EBM) method is one of the free-form fabrication techniques that enable near-net-shape manufacturing of complex three-dimensional, porous, and graded products, and is expected to facilitate the development of new methods for manufacturing biomaterials that could be used for hard-tissue substitutes. Titanium and its alloys have been used widely as biomaterials for hard-tissue substitutes because of their excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, the osteointegration of these materials is less than that of bioactive ceramics. Therefore, various surface-modification techniques have been developed to improve the osteointegration. The simplest way is to synthesize bioactive ceramic films on the surface of titanium or its alloys. The purpose of the present work was to synthesize a bioactive TiO₂ film on Ti-6Al-4V (hereafter, abbreviated as Ti-64) substrates fabricated from powders using the EBM method and treated by a combination of chemical and hydrothermal treatment. Ti-64 plates fabricated by the EBM method were chemically treated with a H₂O₂/HNO₃ aqueous solution under appropriate conditions. The plates were then hydrothermally treated with a NH₃ aqueous solution. TiO₂-gel films were produced by chemical treatment with a H₂O₂/HNO₃ aqueous solution on the surface of a Ti-64 substrate. Anatase-type TiO₂ films with high crystallinity were synthesized by the hydrothermal treatment of the TiO₂-gel films.

Abstract: Co-Cr-Mo based alloys have been widely employed as heat resistant materials and as biomaterials for implants because of their high strength and superior wear resistance. In general, the alloys exhibit a very complicated composition-dependent microstructure containing stacking faults and related mechanical properties. Thus, the essential properties must be clarified by using not only polycrystals but also single crystals. To our knowledge, single crystals and related properties have not been reported elsewhere. Thus, Co-Cr-Mo single crystals were grown and used to analyze the microstructure and the related properties. Single crystals with a composition Co-27 mass% Cr-6 mass% Mo alloy defined by ASTM F75 were grown by two single crystal apparatuses: the optical floating zone and the Bridgman methods. The single crystals with the smooth-surface shape were successfully obtained in the Bridgman method under an Ar gas atmosphere at a crystal growth rate of 5.0 or 2.5 mm/h. A portion of the crystals contain Al as Al₂O₃ precipitates from the crucible. Since the Al₂O₃ precipitate induces martensitic phase transformation from fcc (γ) phase to hcp (ε) phase, the single crystals were separated into two parts (a) containing Al₂O₃ precipitate and (b) in the absence of the clear precipitate. The microstructure was significantly altered by the martensitic phase transformation from the γ to ε phase induced by stress field or heating. In addition, variant formation of ε phase has a large influence on the mechanical functions of these Co-Cr-Mo alloys. Novel findings were preliminary obtained in the single crystals.