Laser processing effects on Ti−45Nb alloy surface,corrosive and biocompatible properties

The Ti−45Nb(wt.%)alloy properties were investigated in relation to its potential biomedical use.Laser surface modification was utilized to improve its performance in biological systems.As a result of the laser treatment,(Ti,Nb)O scale was formed and various morphological features appeared on the alloy surface.The electrochemical behavior of Ti−45Nb alloy in simulated body conditions was evaluated and showed that the alloy was highly resistant to corrosion deterioration regardless of additional laser surface modification treatment.Nevertheless,the improved corrosion resistance after laser treatment was evident(the corrosion current density of the alloy before laser irradiation was 2.84×10^(−8)A/cm^(2),while that after laser treatment with 5 mJ was 0.65×10^(−8)A/cm^(2))and ascribed to the rapid formation of a complex and passivating bi-modal surface oxide layer.Alloy cytotoxicity and effects of the Ti−45Nb alloy laser surface modification on the MRC-5 cell viability,morphology,and proliferation were also investigated.The Ti−45Nb alloy showed no cytotoxic effect.Moreover,cells showed improved viability and adherence to the alloy surface after the laser irradiation treatment.The highest average cell viability of 115.37%was attained for the alloy laser-irradiated with 15 mJ.Results showed that the laser surface modification can be successfully utilized to significantly improve alloy performance in a biological environment.

Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of duplex-phase Ti6242 alloy treated by laser shock peening

The effects of laser shock peening(LSP)on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the Ti6242 alloy,including the residual stress,surface roughness,Vickers microhardness,tensile mechanical response,and high-cycle fatigue properties,were studied.The results showed that the LSP induced residual compressive stresses on the surface and near surface of the material.The maximum surface residual compressive stress was−661 MPa,and the compressive-stress-affected depth was greater than 1000μm.The roughness and Vickers micro-hardness increased with the number of shocks,and the maximum hardness-affected depth was about 700μm after three LSP treatments.LSP enhanced the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries,changed the grain preferred orientations,and notably increased the pole density ofαphase on the near surface from 2.41 to 3.46.The surface hardness values of the LSP samples increased with the increase of the number of shocks due to work hardening,while the LSP had a limited effect on the tensile properties.The high-cycle fatigue life of the LSP-treated sample was significantly enhanced by more than 20%compared with that of the untreated sample,which was caused by the suppression of the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks.

Synthesis of Y_2O_3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite on TC4 Ti alloy by laser cladding

A Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite coating was fabricated in-situ on a TC4 Ti alloy by laser surface cladding. The phase component, microstructure, composition distribution and properties of the composite layer were investigated. The composite layer has graded microstructures and compositions, due to the fast melting followed by rapid solidification and cooling during laser cladding. The TiC powders are completely dissolved into the melted layer during melting and segregated as fine dendrites when solidified. The size of TiC dendrites decreases with increasing depth. Y2O3 fine particles distribute in the whole clad layer. The Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite layer has a quite uniform hardness along depth with a maximum value of HV1380, which is 4 times higher than the initial hardness. The wear resistance of the Ti alloy is significantly improved after laser cladding due to the high hardness of the composite coating.

Surface modification of TC4 Ti alloy by laser cladding with TiC+Ti powders

Laser surface cladding was applied on a TC4 Ti alloy to improve its surface properties. Mixed TiC and Ti powders with a TiC-to-Ti mass ratio of 1：3 were put onto the TC4 Ti alloy and subsequently treated by laser beam. The microstructure and composition modifications in the surfaee layer were carefully investigated by using SEM, EDX and XRD. Due to melting, liquid state mixing followed by rapid solidification and cooling, a layer with graded microstructures and compositions formed. The TiC powders were completely dissolved into the melted layer during melting and segregated as fine dendrites when solidified. The inter-dendritic areas were filled with fine a＇ phase lamellae enrich in A1. Mainly due to the reduced TiC volume fraction with increasing depth, the hardness decreases with increasing depth in the laser clad layer with a maximum value of HV1400, about 4.5 times of the initial one.

Microstructure and wear behavior of laser cladding Ni-based alloy composite coating reinforced by Ti(C,N) particulates

In this paper, Ni-based alloy composite coating reinforced by Ti （C, N） particles was fabricated on the mild steel through laser cladding technology. The microstrncture of laser cladding layer was analyzed by means of optical microscopy （OM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The wear resistance test of the coating was evaluated using an M-2000 tester. The results showed that the Ni-based composite coating had an ability of rapid solidification to form dendritic crystals microstructure consisting of Ti （ C, N） particulates uniformly distributed in the matrix. It was found that some Ti（ C,N） particles are similar to be round in shape, and the others are irregular. Laser cladding layer reinforced by Ti（ C, N） particulates was found to possess good wear resistance property.

Microstructure and mechanical property of additively manufactured NiTi alloys:A comparison between selective laser melting and directed energy deposition

NiTi shape memory alloy(SMA)with nominal composition of Ni 50.8 at%and Ti 49.2 at%was additively manufactured(AM)by selective laser melting(SLM)and laser directed energy deposition(DED)for a comparison study,with emphasis on its phase composition,microstructure,mechanical property and deformation mechanism.The results show that the yield strength and ductility obtained by SLM are 100 MPa and 8%,respectively,which are remarkably different from DED result with 700 MPa and 2%.The load path of SLM sample presents shape memory effect,corresponding to martensite phase detected by XRD;while the load path of DED presents pseudo-elasticity with austenite phase.In SLM sample,fine grain and hole provide a uniform deformation during tensile test,resulting in a better elongation.Furthermore,the nonequilibrium solidification was studied by a temperature field simulation to understand the difference of the two 3D printing methods.Both temperature gradient G and growth rate R determine the microstructure and phase in the SLM sample and DED sample,which leads to similar grain morphologies because of similar G/R.While higher G×R of SLM leads to a finer grain size in SLM sample,providing enough driving force for martensite transition and subsequently changing texture compared to DED sample.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser additive repaired Ti17 titanium alloy

Laser additive manufacturing technology with powder feeding was employed to repair wrought Ti17titanium alloy with small surface defects.The microstructure,micro-hardness and room temperature tensile properties of laser additive repaired(LARed)specimen were investigated.The results show that,cellular substructures are observed in the laser deposited zone(LDZ),rather than the typicalαlaths morphology due to lack of enough subsequent thermal cycles.The cellular substructures lead to lower micro-hardness in the LDZ compared with the wrought substrate zone which consists of duplex microstructure.The tensile test results indicate that the tensile deformation process of the LARed specimen exhibits a characteristic of dramatic plastic strain heterogeneity and fracture in the laser repaired zone with a mixed dimple and cleavage mode.The tensile strength of the LARed specimen is slightly higher than that of the wrought specimen and the elongation of11.7%is lower.

Influence of welding parameters on temperature field characteristics during laser welding of TA15 by infrared thermography

Using an infrared thermographic technique, the temperature field during laser welding of TA15 is quantitatively measured and investigated. The ilffluenee of two welding parameters on the weld temperature distribution is analyzed and the meehanisnl is discussed. New conclusions are drawn that are different from conventional weld temperature distributions. For the face of the weld, changes in welding speed induce changes in the temperature distribution because of different heat inputs and the cooling effect. Sinfilar temperature features in the welds are observed for all speeds, which exhibit a relatively low temperature area below 1 500 ℃ between the high temperature area in the position of laser incidence and the sub-high temperature area at the end of the molten pool. For the ilffluenee of laser power on the face of the weld, the temperature on the weld is higher for P = 2.8 kW compared to P = 2.0 kW, especially the temperature in the sub-high temperature area. However, for the temperature field of the back of the weld, the ilffluenee of welding speeds is quite different compared to the results for the face of the weld. The highest temperature does not locate in the keyhole area, but instead in the middle of the molten pool. And there are different temperature features at different speeds. When v = 6 m/min, the temperature field is like a uniform color belt and the temperature along the center of the weld fluctuates between 300 and 450 ℃. When v = 4 m/rain, the transient temperature distribution is not uniform and is unstable at different times. However, for v = 2.4 m/rain and lower speeds, the temperature field becomes stable. The ilffluenee of laser power on the back of the weld temperature field is more complex. The measured temperature does not increase with increasing laser power, which seems to eolffliet with the conventional thermal conduction theory-. This may be related with the characteristics of the keyhole area.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V alloy prepared by selective laser melting combined with precision forging

To improve the mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V alloy prepared by selective laser melting(SLM)process,the precision forging was conducted at950°C and different strains and strain rates.The microstructure evolution of as-built samples and forged samples in both horizontal and vertical sections was visualized and analyzed by optical microscope and X-ray diffraction.The microstructure was improved by the precision forging and subsequent water quenching.The porosity in each section was accounted.It can be seen that high strain rate and large deformation result in low porosity,consequently contributing to a better fatigue performance.The micro-hardness was lowered after precision forging and water quenching,while the difference of microhardness between the horizontal and vertical sections became smaller,which illustrated that this process can improve the anisotropy of structural components fabricated by SLM.

Wear behavior of Ti6Al4V biomedical alloys processed by selective laser melting, hot pressing and conventional casting

The aim of this work was to study the influence of the processing route on the microstructural constituents,hardness andtribological(wear and friction)behavior of Ti6Al4V biomedical alloy.In this sense,three different processing routes were studied:conventional casting,hot pressing and selective laser melting.A comprehensive metallurgical,mechanical and tribologicalcharacterization was performed by X-ray diffraction analysis,Vickers hardness tests and reciprocating ball-on-plate wear tests ofTi6Al4V/Al2O3sliding pairs.The results showed a great influence of the processing route on the microstructural constituents andconsequent differences on hardness and wear performance.The highest hardness and wear resistance were obtained for Ti6Al4Valloy produced by selective laser melting,due to a markedly different cooling rate that leads to significantly different microstructurewhen compared to hot pressing and casting.This study assesses and confirms that selective laser melting is potential to producecustomized Ti6Al4V implants with improved wear performance.

Microstructure and electrochemical corrosion behavior of selective laser melted Ti−6Al−4V alloy in simulated artificial saliva

Ti−6Al−4V alloy was fabricated via selective laser melting(SLM)to improve its corrosion resistance for implant.The microstructure and electrochemical corrosion behavior were investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),electrochemical test and contact angle test.It can be found that the as-selective laser melted(as-SLMed)Ti−6Al−4V alloys showβcolumnar microstructure in building direction and nearly circular checkerboard microstructure in scanning direction,while the wrought and wrought+HT samples exhibit equiaxed microstructure.The as-SLMed Ti−6Al−4V alloy exhibits better corrosion resistance than the wrought and wrought+HT samples due to hydrophobicity,high grain boundary density and uniform distribution of alloying elements in simulated artificial saliva at 37℃.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Ti−Al−V−Nb alloys with cluster formula manufactured by laser additive manufacturing

Ti−Al−V−Nb alloys with the cluster formula,12[Al−Ti_(12)](AlTi_(2))+5[Al−Ti1_(4)](V,Nb)2Ti,were designed by replacing V with Nb based on the Ti−6Al−4V alloy.Single-track cladding layers and bulk samples of the alloys with Nb contents ranging from 0 to 6.96 wt.%were prepared by laser additive manufacturing to examine their formability,microstructure,and mechanical properties.For single-track cladding layers,the addition of Nb increased the surface roughness slightly and decreased the molten pool height to improve its spreadability.The alloy,Ti−5.96Al−1.94V−3.54Nb(wt.%),exhibited better geometrical accuracy than the other alloys because its molten pool height was consistent with the spread layer thickness of the powder.The microstructures of the bulk samples contained similar columnar β-phase grains,regardless of Nb content.These grains grew epitaxially from the Ti substrate along the deposition direction,with basket-weaveα-phase laths within the columnar grains.Theα-phase size increased with increasing Nb contents,but its uniformity decreased.Along the deposition direction,the Vickers hardness increased from the substrate to the surface.The Ti−5.96Al−1.94V−3.54Nb alloy exhibited the highest Vickers hardness regardless of deposition position because of the optimal matching relationship between theα-phase size and its content among the designed alloys.

Structural characteristics and high-temperature tribological behaviors of laser cladded NiCoCrAlY−B_(4)C composite coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy

In order to improve the hardness and tribological performance of Ti6Al4V alloy,NiCoCrAlY-B_(4)C composite coatings with B_(4)C of 5%,10%and 15%(mass fraction)were fabricated on its surface by laser cladding(LC).The morphologies,chemical compositions and phases of obtained coatings were analyzed using scanning electronic microscope(SEM),energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS),and X-ray diffraction(XRD),respectively.The effects of B_(4)C mass fraction on the coefficient of friction(COF)and wear rate of NiCoCrAlY-B_(4)C coatings were investigated using a ball-on-disc wear tester.The results show that the NiCoCrAlY-B_(4)C coatings with different B_(4)C mass fractions are mainly composed of NiTi,NiTi_(2),α-Ti,CoO,AlB_(2),TiC,TiB and TiB_(2)phases.The COFs and wear rates of NiCoCrAlY-B_(4)C coatings decrease with the increase of B_(4)C content,which are contributed to the improvement of coating hardness by the B_(4)C addition.The wear mechanisms of NiCoCrAlY-B_(4)C coatings are changed from adhesive wear and oxidation wear to fatigue wear with the increase of B_(4)C content.

Microstructure and mechanical property of laser cladding Fe-based alloy composite coating reinforced by Ti （ C0.3 No. 7 ） particulates

Fe-based alloy coatings reinforced by Ti（ C, N） particles was produced through CO2 laser cladding technology. The microstructure of laser cladding coating was analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） , selected area electron diffraction （ SAED ） , scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and electron probe microscopic analyzer （ EPMA ）. The mechanical property of the layer was measured by using microhardness meter. The results show that Ti （ C0. 3 N0. 7 ） panicles are introduced by an in-situ metallurgical reaction between TiN particle and graphite powder during laser cladding process. Titanium carbonitrides particles existed in the layer are fairly fine, ranging from 0. 1 μm to 5.0 μm, and evenly dispersed in the metal α-Fe matrix. Most of them take on nearly rhombus shape, and some of them are irregular in shape. The microhardness of laser cladding layer ranges from 770 HV0. 3 to 850 HV0. 3.

Microstructure,hardness and corrosion properties of laser processed Ti6Al4V-based composites

Nb and Ti-13 Nb powders were used for improving the surface of Ti6Al4 V alloy.The deposition of the powders was carried out at various laser powers.The scanning electron microscopy（SEM）-EDS and optical microscopy were used for characterization.X-ray diffractometer（XRD） was used for analyzing the elemental composition and phase constituents.The hardness,wear and corrosion properties were achieved.The corrosion and the wear behaviours of the deposited layers were studied in a Hanks solution（simulated body fluid,SBF）.The microstructures of Nb coatings reveal the presence of orthorhombic,dendritic α″ and metastable β-Nb phases which produce uneven hardness with an average of HV 364.For Ti-13 Nb coatings,martensitic α′ and metastable β-Nb phases with an average hardness of HV 423 were observed.The resistance of wear on dry sliding of Ti-13 Nb coating is attributed to the increase in hardness.Experimental results indicate that deposition of Nb and Ti-13 Nb on Ti6Al4 V grossly reduces the mass fractions of Al and V in all coatings.In SBF,Nb reinforcement produces the best coating that reveals the best wear and corrosion resistances as compared with the substrate.Hence,this coating will perform best for orthopaedic implant material enhancement.

Ultra‐low cost Ti powder for selective laser melting additive manufacturing and superior mechanical properties associated

One of the bottleneck issues for commercial scale-up of Ti additive manufacturing lies in high cost of raw material, i.e. the spherical Ti powder that is often made by gas atomization. In this study, we address this significant issue by way of powder modification & ball milling processing, which shows that it is possible to produce printable Ti powders based on ultra- low cost, originally unprintable hydrogenation-dehydrogenation (HDH) Ti powder. It is also presented that the as-printed Ti using the modified powder exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, showing a combination of excellent fracture strength (~895 MPa) and high ductility (~19.0% elongation).

Microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion performance of selective laser melting Ti/GNPs composite with a porous structure

In this study,nano-graphene reinforced titanium matrix composites(GNPs/Ti)with a honeycomb porous structure were fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM).The effects of graphene on the microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion performance of the SLM GNPs/Ti were systematically investigated.Results of microstructure characterization show that:1)the density of the SLM GNPs/Ti was improved as compared to that of the SLM Ti;2)abundant TiC particles were formed in the SLM GNPs/Ti.The hardness and compressive strength of the composite increased by 90%(from HV 236 to HV 503)and 14%(from 277 MPa to 316 MPa),respectively,attributed to the uniformly distributed TiC and fine GNPs in the Ti matrix.Electrochemical tests reveal that the corrosion current density of the SLM GNPs/Ti is only 0.328μA/cm^(2),that is about 25%less than that of the SLM Ti.The results indicate that the incorporation of nano-graphene is a potential method to strengthen the Ti by SLM.

Multifunctional hopeite nanocoating on Ti64 substrates by pulsed laser deposition and radio frequency magnetron sputtering for orthopedic implant applications:A comparative study

Functionalized implants demonstrate an upgraded approach in orthopedic implants,aiming to achieve long term success through improved bio integration.Bioceramic coatings with multifunctionality have arisen as an effective substitute for conventional coatings,owing to their combination of various properties that are essential for bio-implants,such as osteointegration and antibacterial character.In the present study,thin hopeite coatings were produced by Pulsed laser deposition(PLD)and radio frequency magnetron sputtering(RFMS)on Ti64 substrates.The obtained hopeite coatings were annealed at 500°C in ambient air and studied in terms of surface morphology,phase composition,surface roughness,adhesion strength,antibacterial efficacy,apatite forming ability,and surface wettability by scanning electron microscope(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),atomic force microscope(AFM),tensometer,fluorescence-activated cell sorting(FACS),simulated body fluid(SBF)immersion test and contact angle goniometer,respectively.Furthermore,based on promising results obtained in the present work it can be summarized that the new generation multifunctional hopeite coating synthesized by two alternative new process routes of PLD and RFMS on Ti64 substrates,provides effective alternatives to conventional coatings,largely attributed to strong osteointegration and antibacterial character of deposited hopeite coating ensuring the overall stability of metallic orthopedic implants.

Effect of post-weld heat treatment on microstructure and properties of Ti-23Al-17Nb alloy laser beam welding joints

The mechanical properties of Ti-23Al-17Nb (mole fraction,%) laser beam welding alloy joint at room temperature are comparable to that of the base materials.However,the strength and ductility of the as-welded joint deteriorate seriously after high temperature circulation.The effect of post-welded heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint was investigated.The heat treatment was taken at 980 ℃ for 1.5 h,then furnace cooling and air cooling were performed separately.The results indicate that proper post-welded heat treatment improves the ductility of the joint at high temperature.

Surface Integrity of Ultrasonically-Assisted Milled Ti6Al4V Alloy Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting

The Ti6Al4V parts produced by the existing selective laser melting(SLM)are mainly confronted with poor surface finish and inevitable interior defects,which substantially deteriorates the mechanical properties and performances of the parts.In this regard,ultrasonically-assisted machining(UAM)technique is commonly introduced to improve the machining quality due to its merits in increasing tool life and reducing cutting force.However,most of the previous studies focus on the performance of UAM with ultrasonic vibrations applied in the tangential and feed directions,whereas few of them on the impact of ultrasonic vibration along the vertical direction.In this study,the effects of feed rate on surface integrity in ultrasonically-assisted vertical milling(UAVM)of the Ti6Al4V alloy manufactured by SLM were systemically investigated compared with the conventional machining(CM)method.The results revealed that the milling forces in UAVM showed a lower amplitude than that in CM due to the intermittent cutting style.The surface roughness values of the parts produced by UAVM were generally greater than that by CM owing to the extra sinusoidal vibration textures induced by the milling cutter.Moreover,the extra vertical ultrasonic vibration in UAVM was beneficial to suppressing machining chatter.As feed rate increased,surface microhardness and thickness of the plastic deformation zone in CM raised due to more intensive plastic deformation,while these two material properties in UAVM were reduced owing to the mitigated impact effect by the high-frequency vibration of the milling cutter.Therefore,the improved surface microhardness and reduced thickness of the subsurface deformation layer in UAVM were ascribed to the vertical high-frequency impact of the milling cutter in UAVM.In general,the results of this study provided an in-depth understanding in UAVM of Ti6Al4V parts manufactured by SLM.