FeMn with Phases of a Degradable Ag Alloy for Residue-Free and Adapted Bioresorbability.

The development of bioresorbable materials for temporary implantation enables progress in medical technology. Iron (Fe)-based degradable materials are biocompatible and exhibit good mechanical properties, but their degradation rate is low. Aside from alloying with Manganese (Mn), the creation of phases with high electrochemical potential such as silver (Ag) phases to cause the anodic dissolution of FeMn is promising. However, to enable residue-free dissolution, the Ag needs to be modified. This concern is addressed, as FeMn modified with a degradable Ag-Calcium-Lanthanum (AgCaLa) alloy is investigated. The electrochemical properties and the degradation behavior are determined via a static immersion test. The local differences in electrochemical potential increase the degradation rate (low pH values), and the formation of gaps around the Ag phases (neutral pH values) demonstrates the benefit of the strategy. Nevertheless, the formation of corrosion-inhibiting layers avoids an increased degradation rate under a neutral pH value. The complete bioresorption of the material is possible since the phases of the degradable AgCaLa alloy dissolve after the FeMn matrix. Cell viability tests reveal biocompatibility, and the antibacterial activity of the degradation supernatant is observed. Thus, FeMn modified with degradable AgCaLa phases is promising as a bioresorbable material if corrosion-inhibiting layers can be diminished.

Heat Treatments of Metastable ß Titanium Alloy Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

Titanium alloys, especially ß alloys, are favorable as implant materials due to their promising combination of low Young's modulus, high strength, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. In particular, the low Young's moduli reduce the risk of stress shielding and implant loosening. The processing of Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn through laser powder bed fusion is presented. The specimens were heat-treated, and the microstructure was investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were determined by hardness and tensile tests. The microstructures reveal a mainly ß microstructure with α″ formation for high cooling rates and α precipitates after moderate cooling rates or aging. The as-built and α″ phase containing conditions exhibit a hardness around 225 HV5, yield strengths (YS) from 340 to 490 MPa, ultimate tensile strengths (UTS) around 706 MPa, fracture elongations around 20%, and Young's moduli about 50 GPa. The α precipitates containing conditions reveal a hardness around 297 HV5, YS around 812 MPa, UTS from 871 to 931 MPa, fracture elongations around 12%, and Young's moduli about 75 GPa. Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn exhibits, depending on the heat treatment, promising properties regarding the material behavior and the opportunity to tailor the mechanical performance as a low modulus, high strength implant material.

LPBF Manufactured Functionally Graded Lattice Structures Obtained by Graded Density and Hybrid Poisson's Ratio.

The additive manufacturing (AM) of innovative lattice structures with unique mechanical properties has received widespread attention due to the capability of AM processes to fabricate freeform and intricate structures. The most common way to characterize the additively manufactured lattice structures is via the uniaxial compression test. However, although there are many applications for which lattice structures are designed for bending (e.g., sandwich panels cores and some medical implants), limited attention has been paid toward investigating the flexural behavior of metallic AM lattice structures with tunable internal architectures. The purpose of this study was to experimentally investigate the flexural behavior of AM Ti-6Al-4V lattice structures with graded density and hybrid Poisson's ratio (PR). Four configurations of lattice structure beams with positive, negative, hybrid PR, and a novel hybrid PR with graded density were manufactured via the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AM process and tested under four-point bending. The manufacturability, microstructure, micro-hardness, and flexural properties of the lattices were evaluated. During the bending tests, different failure mechanisms were observed, which were highly dependent on the type of lattice geometry. The best response in terms of absorbed energy was obtained for the functionally graded hybrid PR (FGHPR) structure. Both the FGHPR and hybrid PR (HPR) structured showed a 78.7% and 62.9% increase in the absorbed energy, respectively, compared to the positive PR (PPR) structure. This highlights the great potential for FGHPR lattices to be used in protective devices, load-bearing medical implants, and energy-absorbing applications.

Requirements for Processing High-Strength AlZnMgCu Alloys with PBF-LB/M to Achieve Crack-Free and Dense Parts.

Processing aluminum alloys employing powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) is becoming more attractive for the industry, especially if lightweight applications are needed. Unfortunately, high-strength aluminum alloys such as AA7075 are prone to hot cracking during PBF-LB/M, as well as welding. Both a large solidification range promoted by the alloying elements zinc and copper and a high thermal gradient accompanied with the manufacturing process conditions lead to or favor hot cracking. In the present study, a simple method for modifying the powder surface with titanium carbide nanoparticles (NPs) as a nucleating agent is aimed. The effect on the microstructure with different amounts of the nucleating agent is shown. For the aluminum alloy 7075 with 2.5 ma% titanium carbide nanoparticles, manufactured via PBF-LB/M, crack-free samples with a refined microstructure having no discernible melt pool boundaries and columnar grains are observed. After using a two-step ageing heat treatment, ultimate tensile strengths up to 465 MPa and an 8.9% elongation at break are achieved. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that not all nanoparticles used remain in the melt pool during PBF-LB/M.

Nano-architectural complexity of zinc oxide nanowall hollow microspheres and their structural properties.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) hollow spheres with defined morphology and micro-/nanostructure are prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis approach. The materials possess fine-leaved structures at their particle surface (nanowall hollow micro spheres). Morphology control is achieved by citric acid used as an additive in variable relative quantities during the synthesis. The structure formation is studied by various time-dependent ex situ methods, such as scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The fine-leaved surface structure is characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques (HRTEM, STEM), using a high-angle annular dark field detector, as well as by differential phase contrast analysis. In-depth structural characterization of the nanowalls by drop-by-drop ex situ FE-SEM analysis provides insight into possible structure formation mechanisms. Further investigation addresses the thermal stability of the particle morphology and the enhancement of the surface-to-volume ratio by heat treatment (examined by N2 physisorption).