ECAP - Equal Channel Angular Pressing
The use of special ECAP forming process technologies enables the optimization of material properties and the production of innovative materials. In this area, the RHP team works closely with leading research institutions and companies. Our research and development activities include both permanent and biodegradable metal-based implants.
Application-oriented identification of suitable biomaterials and process technologies
For permanent implants, materials with excellent biocompatibility and tailored properties in terms of strength, hardness, processability, longer life as well as high comfort for patients are crucial. In the development of completely new biodegradable metallic materials for implants, the most important factors are highest biocompatibility, good mechanical properties as well as a controllable degradation rate in the body. These biomaterials are planned for use primarily in osteosynthesis systems and in the vascular environment and offer the great advantage that they are degraded by the body once they have fulfilled their task, thus eliminating the need for stressful explantation.
Equal Channel Angular Pressing ECAP of biomaterials (pure-Mg, Mg alloys, pure-Ti, Ti alloys) and non-biomaterials (electro-Cu, Cu alloys, Al alloys) as a service for medical and non-medical applications.
These biodegradable metallic materials exhibit excellent biocompatibility in vivo, but there are no specific in vitro cytocompatibility tests according to the ISO standard. The existing ISO standard tests for metallic implants are primarily designed for permanent metals.
Development and application of innovative and validatable process technologies (e.g. for the production of ultrafine-grained metallic biomaterials)
The new, application-oriented 3D test setups significantly better represent the processes in the organism and enable better predictability and planning of in vivo tests.
Characterization of mechanical properties such as hardness measurements, compressive and tensile strength and fatigue strength can be performed in our laboratories.
We offer special test setups for analyses and corrosion behavior with simultaneous testing of fatigue strength in simulated body fluid.
Degradation tests for degradable metallic biomaterials and corrosion measurements of permanent implant materials.
