Surgery

BÖHLER A220SC is a low carbon, chromium nickel and molybdenum steel. Structure homogeneous, stable austenite. Weldable with analogous filler metal giving fully austenitic deposit. Resistant to intergranular corrosion in the temperature range up to 750°F (400°C). Resistance to acids having a reducing effect, like diluted sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid is good. The steel is not susceptible to pitting, crevice and stress corrosion cracking in media containing chloride ions and possesses excellent resistance to the attack of urea and biocompatibility. Cold forming properties are good. The steel is capable of taking a mirror finish. The steel is produced as a remelt grade and thus meets the usual requirements for steel purity as specified for implant material.

BÖHLER L035 is a 35-cobalt-35-nickel-20-chromium-10-molybdenum wrought alloy (UNS R30035) used for the production of surgical implants. This alloy composition has been successfully used in human implants. Long-term clinical experience has shown an acceptable biological response. The exceptional properties of BÖHLER L035 result from its chemical composition, high-quality melting technology, cold forming and heat treatment. It is a vacuum induction melted (VIM) and vacuum arc remelted (VAR) superalloy. BÖHLER L035 is a nickel-cobalt based multiphase alloy system with a unique combination of properties e.g. extremely high strength, toughness, ductility and excellent corrosion resistance. The alloy can be strengthened and aged in the factory to achieve strength values of max. 260 to 300 ksi (1793-2086 MPa) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance even in hydrogen sulphide. The BÖHLER L035 alloy resists pitting and crevice corrosion caused by seawater, chloride solutions and other corrosive environments, e.g. mineral acids (nitric, hydrochloric, sulphuric acid).

BÖHLER L605 is a wrought cobalt-20chromium-15tungsten-10nickel alloy used for surgical implants. The properties specified apply specifically to wrought bar, rod, wire BÖHLER L605 is a nonmagnetic cobalt-based chromium-tungsten nickel alloy that has excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance, and high strength at both room and elevated temperatures. Usually BÖHLER L605 is supplied solution heat treated and quenched condition to attain optimum properties. Through work hardening, high strength levels can be obtained and BÖHLER L605 can be used in the cold worked and aged condition. Applications include medical implant devices, e.g. stents, springs, valves, and engine components for the aerospace industry. The alloy composition covered by this specification has been successfully employed in human implants. Long-term clinical experience has shown an acceptable level of biological response.

BÖHLER N324 is a heat-treatable, corrosion-resistant steel with 13% Cr, 1.3% Mo and 1.2% Ni. The sulphur content of approx. 0.2% improves machinability. This steel has better corrosion resistance, hardness and toughness than standard steels with 13% Cr. A high surface quality is required to achieve adequate corrosion resistance after hardening and tempering. A polishing and passivation treatment is recommended. Tempering above 427 °C [800 °F] leads to reduced corrosion resistance. Products made from this steel are used for parts in general engineering and non-critical cutting and non-cutting medical applications with a hardness of up to 48/53 HRC that require resistance to wear and corrosion. Typical parts include knives, scissors, drills, screws and blades. Grades with improved machinability should not be used for critical parts of surgical instruments and should only be considered for instrument applications if appropriate measures can be taken during manufacture to minimize the inherent limitations of this alloy class.

BÖHLER N360 is a corrosion resistant, martensitic stainless steel, produced using the pressurized-ESR-process ( P-ESR) . Compared to conventionally produced Cr and CrMo steels, BÖHLER N360 offers improved corrosion resistance and toughness properties as well as high hardness and compressive strength. It is typically used for anti-friction bearing components e.g. bearings, ball screws and wear resistant components for use in the engineering and medical industry, e.g. knives and other cutting tools, shafts, plastic extrusion, screw driver, drills, fasteners and engine-components, requiring resistance to both corrosion and wear with hardness not lower than 58 HRC after hardening and tempering, but usage is not limited to such applications.

BÖHLER N664 is a corrosion-resistant steel with 17%Cr and Mo-addition in the form of bars, wire, forgings, and forging stock. These products have been used typically for parts in general engineering and cutting and non cutting medical applications , e.g. chisels, knives, osteotomes, scalpels drills, retractors, spreaders, tongs requiring hardness up to 56/57 HRC and resistance to wear, corrosion, and oxidation depending on instrument design and application but usage is not limited to such applications.

BÖHLER N685 is a corrosion-resistant steel with molybdenium and vanadium additions in the form of bars, wire, forgings, and forging stock. These products have been used typically for parts in engineering and medical applications requiring hardness up to 58 HRC and resistance to wear, corrosion, and oxidation, but usage is not limited to such applications.

BÖHLER N690 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and the addition of cobalt, molybdenum and vanadium. BÖHLER N690 is also approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER N695 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and added molybdenum.

BÖHLER N700 is a martensitic, corrosion-resistant, precipitation-hardenable chromium-nickel-copper steel with high strength and toughness. Further increases in strength can be achieved by cold forming and subsequent precipitation hardening. These products are typically used for parts that require higher corrosion resistance than the usual 13% or 17% chromium steels and high strength. Various remelting processes are used to improve steel purity and homogeneity. (ESR, PESR, VAR). Certain processing methods and operating conditions can make these products susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. For applications such as bolting where stress corrosion cracking is possible, the product should be aged for at least 4 hours at the highest temperature compatible with the strength requirements, but in no case lower than 552 °C. Typical engineering applications include surgical and dental instruments as well as aerospace components, reactor construction, highly stressed pump parts, springs and ship shafts.

BÖHLER N700 SA is a premium aerospace-quality corrosion-resistant steel available in bars, wire, and forgings with diameters/thicknesses up to 203 mm in the solution-annealed condition, as well as starting material of any size for forging purposes. It is a martensitic, precipitation-hardenable chromium-nickel-copper steel with high strength and toughness. Further strength increases can be achieved through cold working and subsequent precipitation hardening. These products are typically used for parts requiring corrosion resistance and high strength up to 316 °C, but their use is not limited to such applications. Certain processing methods and operating conditions can make these products susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. For applications such as bolted joints where stress corrosion is possible, the product should be aged for at least 4 hours at the highest temperature compatible with the strength requirements, but in no case lower than 552 °C.

BÖHLER N765 (UNS S46500) is a double vacuum-melted, stainless, maraging steel (PH-Grade) with a unique combination of high strength, toughness and corrosion resistance. The products are typically used for heat-treated parts where resistance to stress corrosion cracking, high strength and toughness up to 427 °C (800 °F) with good ductility and transverse strength are required. BÖHLER N765 material achieves a tensile strength of over 250 ksi (1722 MPa) when aged at 950 °F (H950 condition) and offers a superior combination of strength, toughness and stress corrosion cracking resistance compared to other high strength PH-steels such as 15-5PH or PH 13-8Mo. Hardening temperatures from 950°F to 1050°F can be selected to achieve the desired combination of strength, toughness and stress corrosion cracking resistance. The alloy not only meets the special and demanding requirements of the aerospace industry, but is also used in marine equipment, firearms, hand tools, oil and gas drilling and the medical industry, among others.

BÖHLER P504 is a wrought nitrogen strengthened 21chromium—10nickel—3manganese—2.5molybdenum stainless steel for surgical implants. It is a highly corrosion resistant non-magnetisable stainless austenitic steel – nitrogen alloyed – resistant to intergranular corrosion. Compared to standard Cr-Ni-Mo steel, it offers increased strength and thus also better fatigue properties. The steel is produced as remelt grade and thus fulfils the usual requirements for steel purity as specified for implant material.

BÖHLER P511 is a weldable, non-magnetic, austenitic steel with resistance to seawater and intergranular corrosion. This austenitic, stainless Cr-Ni-Mn-Mo-N steel has higher corrosion resistance than Cr-Ni-Mo grades 316, 316L, 317 and 317L and approximately twice the yield strength at room temperature. In addition, BÖHLER P511 has very good mechanical properties at both high and low temperatures. Unlike many austenitic stainless steels, it does not become magnetic when cold-formed or cooled to sub-zero temperatures. Thanks to its excellent notched impact strength at -196 °C (-320 °F), BÖHLER P511 is particularly suitable for low-temperature applications. Typical applications are found in the oil and gas, chemical, fertilizer, paper, textile, food and marine industries for components requiring a combination of excellent corrosion resistance and high strength, e.g. pumps, valves and fittings, fasteners, cables, chains, ship fittings, boat and valve shafts, heat exchanger parts and springs.

BÖHLER P513 is a weldable, non-magnetic, austenitic stainless steel with resistance to seawater and intercrystalline corrosion. It offers the best abrasion resistance of all stainless steels. The corrosion resistance of BÖHLER P513 is better than that of conventional austenitic Cr-Ni steels (type 304), and even better than Cr-Ni-Mo steel (type 316) under standard test conditions against chloride pitting, stress corrosion cracking and crevice corrosion. BÖHLER P513 is an alloy with a high silicon and manganese content and added nitrogen, which also works well at high temperatures around 1800 ºF. Silicon and manganese prevent wear and scuffing even in the annealed condition. Higher strengths can be achieved by cold forming, but this does not significantly improve abrasion resistance. BÖHLER P513 is used in the aerospace, food and pharmaceutical, oilfield, petrochemical, surgical and chemical industries, e.g. for valve stems and valve seats, fastening systems, shielding, chain drive systems, pins, bushings and roller bearings, wear rings and pistons in pumps.

BÖHLER P558 is a high-nitrogen 11% manganese-17% chromium-3% molybdenum-nickel stainless steel for surgical implants. Its metallurgical requirements include a fine-grained, austenitic microstructure without delta ferrite, low inclusion content, and resistance to intergranular corrosion. BÖHLER P558 also exhibits pitting and crevice corrosion resistance that is significantly better than the reference material in Specification F138 and exceeds the material values ​​specified in Specification F1314 and Specification F1586. Biocompatibility tests for this material have been positive and meet the requirements of the test standards used. The chemical composition of this steel features a high carbon content, along with high nitrogen content. The high carbon content is considered critical in the conventional metallurgy of chromium-nickel stainless steels, but the simultaneous alloying of nitrogen and carbon in BÖHLER P558 has a beneficial effect on the stabilization of the austenitic phase, extends the range of austenite stability to lower solution annealing temperatures, increases corrosion resistance, and leads to better toughness properties.