ISO 5832-3:2021

Overview

ISO 5832-3:2021 - "Implants for surgery - Metallic materials - Part 3: Wrought titanium 6‑aluminium 4‑vanadium alloy (Ti‑6Al‑4V)" - specifies the chemical, microstructural and mechanical characteristics, and the corresponding test methods, for wrought Ti‑6Al‑4V used in the manufacture of surgical implants. The standard applies to raw implant material; mechanical properties of finished devices may differ from the raw‑material values.

Keywords: ISO 5832-3:2021, Ti-6Al-4V, wrought titanium, surgical implants, implant materials, biomaterials.

Key topics and requirements

• Chemical composition
  • Aluminium: 5.5–6.75%
  • Vanadium: 3.5–4.5%
  • Iron: ≤ 0.30%
  • Oxygen: ≤ 0.20%
  • Carbon: ≤ 0.08%
  • Nitrogen: ≤ 0.05%
  • Hydrogen: ≤ 0.015% (≤ 0.010% for billets)
  • Titanium: balance
• Microstructure
  • Acceptable microstructure: equiaxed alpha or elongated primary alpha in a transformed beta matrix with no continuous alpha network at prior beta grain boundaries.
  • Transverse microstructures for round bars (annealed condition) are referenced to photomicrographs in ISO 20160 (A1–A9).
• Mechanical properties (annealed condition)
  • Tensile strength (Rm): ≥ 860 MPa
  • Proof/yield strength (Rp0.2): ≥ 780 MPa
  • Elongation after fracture: ≥ 8% for sheet/strip, ≥ 10% for bars
  • Bend test: sheet/strip must withstand bending (105°) around a mandrel specified as 10 × t (t = thickness)
• Test methods
  • Tensile tests: ISO 6892-1
  • Bend tests: ISO 7438
  • Microstructure classification: ISO 20160
• Conformity & retest rules
  • Retest procedures and pass/fail criteria are defined (including provisions if failures occur inside/outside gauge length).

Applications and users

• Practical use: provides material requirements for manufacturers of surgical implants (e.g., orthopaedic and dental implant components), raw material suppliers, medical device OEMs, quality assurance and testing laboratories, and regulators verifying material conformity.
• Why it matters: ensures consistent biocompatible, high‑strength, corrosion‑resistant wrought Ti‑6Al‑4V raw material suitable for surgical implant fabrication and global trade.

Related standards

• ISO 6892-1 - Tensile testing of metallic materials
• ISO 7438 - Bend test for metallic materials
• ISO 20160 - Microstructure catalog for alpha+beta Ti alloys
• ASTM F136 / F1472 - Harmonization tables and reference specifications for Ti‑6Al‑4V (ELI and non‑ELI grades) - summarized in Annex B of ISO 5832-3:2021

For manufacturers and material engineers, ISO 5832-3:2021 is a key reference when specifying wrought Ti‑6Al‑4V raw stock and when aligning material test reports with global implant‑material requirements.