Tribological behavior of bioactive multi-material structures targeting orthopedic applications.

ABSTRACT

The following study proposes a multi-material solution in which Ti6Al4V cellular structures produced by Selective Laser Melting are impregnated with bioactive materials (hydroxyapatite or ß-tricalcium phosphate) using press and sintering technique. To assess the tribological response of these structures, an alumina plate was used as a counterpart in a flat-on-flat reciprocating sliding test. Ti6Al4V cellular structures impregnated with bioactive materials displayed the highest wear resistance when compared with the unreinforced structures. Among the bioactive structures, Ti6Al4V cellular structures impregnated with ßTCP were the ones with higher wear resistance, having the lowest weight loss. Hence, these structures are promising multifunctional solutions for load-bearing applications by gathering suitable mechanical properties (strength and stiffness); bioactive properties and in addition an improved wear performance.