Surface elastic properties of Ti alloys modified for medical implants: a force spectroscopy study.

We report here the first nanoscale surface elasticity measurements on surface-modified titanium alloys using the force spectroscopy mode in scanning force microscopy. Samples of three vanadium-free titanium alloys, Ti-7Nb-6Al, Ti-13Nb-13Zr and Ti-15Zr-4Nb, were investigated. Surface modification of the three alloys was produced by thermal oxidation in air at 750 degrees C for different times, which resulted in the formation of protective oxide layers with different surface composition and morphology.