Deposition of Biocompatible Polymers by 3D Printing (FDM) on Titanium Alloy

Nowadays, the replacement of a hip joint is a standard surgical procedure. However, researchers have continuingly been trying to upgrade endoprostheses and make them more similar to natural joints. The use of 3D printing could be helpful in such cases, since 3D-printed elements could mimic the natural lubrication mechanism of the meniscus. In this paper, we propose a method to deposit plastics directly on titanium alloy using 3D printing (FDM). This procedure allows one to obtain endoprostheses that are more similar to natural joints, easier to manufacture and have fewer components. During the research, biocompatible polymers suitable for 3D FDM printing were used, namely polylactide (PLA) and polyamide (PA). The research included tensile and shear tests of metal–polymer bonds, friction coefficient measurements and microscopic observations. The friction coefficient measurements revealed that only PA was promising for endoprostheses (the friction coefficient for PLA was too high). The strength tests and microscopic observations showed that PLA and PA deposition by 3D FDM printing directly on Ti6Al4V titanium alloy is possible; however, the achieved bonding strength and repeatability of the process were unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, the benefits arising from application of this method mean that it is worthwhile to continue working on this issue.

Investigation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy electron beam welding joint

Electron beam welding (EBW) is a fusion joining process particularly suitable for welding titanium plates. In the present work, 2.5 mm thickness Ti6Al4V titanium alloy plates were butt-welded together with backing plates by EBW. The detailed procedures of experiments were used to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints. The optimum welding speed was determined by microstructure examinations, microhardness tests, X-Ray diffraction tests, shear punch tests (SPT) and stress simulation calculations. The results showed that all microstructure of welded metal (WM) was martensite phase under the different welding speeds. In the heat-affected zone (HAZ), the martensite phase gradually evolved to be small and equiaxed. It can be seen that the microstructure of each region in welded joints did not change significantly. When the welding speed is between 8 mm/s and 14 mm/s, it can be seen from the macroscopic appearance of the joints that there was no utterly fused penetration between the butt plate and substrate. Finite element simulation was carried out for the no-penetration depth under different welding conditions, and it was found that the stress suffered by the small no-penetration depth was the smallest. Using different welding parameters shows that the engineering stress in WM was higher than other areas, and BM was the lowest. As welding speed increases from 8 mm/s to 14 mm/s, the variation of microhardness distribution was not evident.

Cathodic nitriding and anodic polishing of Ti6Al4V alloy by plasma electrolysis

The paper presents the results of studies on modifying the surface of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy by combined exposure to cathodic nitriding and anodic polishing in electrolysis plasma. The morphology and roughness of the surface, microhardness of the modified layer have been investigated. Wear resistance was studied under dry friction conditions. The effect of combined treatment on corrosion resistance of Ti6Al4V alloy was examined by means of potentiodynamic polarization in Ringer’s solution. It has been established that cathodic nitriding at 750 °C for 10 min leads to the hardening of the surface layer up to 820 HV with an increase in roughness by 2 times and wear resistance almost 3 times. Subsequent anodic plasma electrolytic polishing of the nitriding surface in solution of ammonium sulfate leads to a decrease in roughness and friction coefficient with an increase in corrosion resistance.

Corrosion Resistance and Surface Bioactivity of Ti6Al4V Alloy after Finish Turning under Ecological Cutting Conditions

The influence of cooling conditions and surface topography after finish turning of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy on corrosion resistance and surface bioactivity was analyzed. The samples were machined under dry and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) conditions to obtain different surface roughness. The surface topographies of the processed samples were assessed and measured using an optical profilometer. The produced samples were subjected to electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and corrosion potential tests (Ecorr) in the presence of simulated body fluid (SBF). The surface bioactivity of the samples was assessed on the basis of images from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The inspection of the surfaces of samples after turning under dry and MQL conditions revealed unevenly distributed precipitation of hydroxyapatite compounds (Ca/P) with a molar ratio in the range of 1.73–1.97. Regardless of the cutting conditions and surface roughness, the highest values of Ecorr ~0 mV were recorded on day 7 of immersion in the SBF solution. The impedance characteristics showed that, compared to the MQL conditions, surfaces machined under dry conditions were characterized by greater resistance and the presence of a passive layer on the processed surface. The main novelty of the paper is the study of the effect of ecological machining conditions, namely, dry and MQL cutting on the corrosion resistance and surface bioactivity of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy after finish turning. The obtained research results have practical significance. They can be used by engineers during the development of technological processes for medical devices made of Ti6Al4V alloy to obtain favorable functional properties of these devices.

The Effect of Building Direction on Microstructure and Microhardness during Selective Laser Melting of Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloy

During the last few years, additive manufacturing has been more and more extensively used in several industries, especially in the aerospace and medical device fields, to produce Ti6Al4V titanium alloy parts. During the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) process, the heterogeneity of finished product is strictly connected to the scan strategies and the building direction. An optimal managing of the latter parameters allows to better control and defines the final mechanical and metallurgical properties of parts. Acting on the building direction it is also possible to optimize the critical support structure. In particular, more support structures are needed for the sample at 0°, while very low support are required for the sample at 90°. To study the effects of build direction on microstructure heterogeneity evolution and mechanical performances of selective laser melted Ti6Al4V parts, two build direction samples (0°, 90°) were manufactured and analyzed using optical metallographic microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Isometric microstructure reconstruction and microhardness tests were carried out in order to analyze the specimens. The obtained results indicate that the build direction has to be considered a key geometrical parameter affecting the overall quality of the obtained products.