Radiopaque Shape Memory Alloys: NiTi–Er with Stable Superelasticity

Binary NiTi alloy is one of the most important biomaterials currently used in minimally invasive procedures and indwelling devices. The poor visibility of intermetallic NiTi under X-ray could be an unsatisfactory feature especially for developing low-dimensional implantable devices for the body. It is a matter of fact that the alloying of a third radiopaque element, such as noble or heavy metals, in NiTi can significantly enhance the alloy’s radiopacity. Recently, it was demonstrated that the addition of a rare earth element such as Erbium has led to an equivalent radiopacity at a much lower cost than the equivalent addition of noble metals. This work reviews the main physical aspects related to the radiopacity of NiTi alloys and compares the radiopacity of NiTi–Er compositions with other NiTi-based alloys containing Pd, Pt, W and Cr. Furthermore, a NiTi–6Er alloy is produced by spark plasma sintering, and successfully processed by conventional hot and cold working procedures to a continuous wire showing stable superelastic behaviour (up to 4 % in strain), suitable for developing biomedical devices.