[mekelley]

I am writing to get some tips and ideas for a paper I need to write in my special topics class. I am writing about metals in medical implants. I'm not to talk much about the implants but about the chemistry behind the metals and why they are chosen. Any ideas on everything I should cover in this paper for each metal used? It is to be 12-15 pages

[AWK]

Just google:
metal medical inplants
(and especially look for titanium)

[mekelley]

Thanks for replying. I am definitely looking at titanium. I was just wondering if there is anything else I should talk about besides flexibility, strength, corrosion, allergic reactions.

[AWK]

In a few first pages of this Google search you also find answers on your other questions.

[Enthalpy]

You need a section telling that usual alloys don't fit the use, preferably explaining why, and comparing mechanical alloys with implantable ones.

Don't miss allergies to nickel when explaining why cobalt.

Mention that even small amounts of some metals are prohibited, which also excludes many common alloys. For mechanical purposes, alloying elements <0.1% aren't mentioned, so implants need special quality insurance practices, just like nuclear engineering.

A couple of words about the amounts consumed would be interesting. For instance Co-Cr20-etc is produced essentially for that purpose, so its price per kg can't reflect the cost of the components. Are the alloy producers the same?

At some functions (hip) wear resistance is all-important and mechanical resistance too. That's an argument against ferritic stainless steel, which would be non-allergenic and much cheaper.

In a report about metals, you might spend some words of comparison with polymers and ceramics.

Don't forget the magnetic and electric properties. For MRI it's all-important.