Titanium (Ti) is a promising metal for biomedical implant applications owing to lightweight, superior corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Unfortunately, Ti is besieged by poor wear resistance owing to inferior plastic shear-resistance and strain-hardening capacity, thus causing premature failure upon joint friction. And conventional strengthening methods inevitably compromise the inherent biocompatibility and safety of pure titanium, which poses a sizable challenge in the manufacturing of
wear-resistant Ti orthopedic implants. As described by the Archard law, wear resistance is closely related to both strength and plasticity; however, a trade-off dilemma often exists between strength and plasticity. Therefore, achieving a synergistic enhanced strength-plasticity in pure Ti has become the key breakthrough direction for improving its wear resistance and thereby manufacturing high-performance implants.
