OREANDA-NEWS. July 25, 2016. Scientists have found that an alloy, consisting of titanium and gold, is about three to four times harder than most steels and could be used for stronger, more biocompatible medical implants, The Economic Times reported. Titanium is the leading material for artificial knee and hip joints because it is strong, wear-resistant and nontoxic.

“It is about 3-4 times harder than most steels,” said Emilia Morosan, from Rice University. “It’s four times harder than pure titanium, which is what’s currently being used in most dental implants and replacement joints,” said Morosan.

The atomic structure of the material – its atoms are tightly packed in a “cubic” crystalline structure that is often associated with hardness – was previously known.

However, Morosan and former graduate student Eteri Svanidze are first to document the remarkable properties of the ultra-hard “beta” form of the compound.