Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing of a Low-Modulus Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta Alloy for Orthopedic Applications

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) was attempted here to additively manufacture a new generation orthopedic beta titanium alloy Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta toward engineering patient-specific implants. Parts were fabricated using four different values of energy density (ED) input ranging from 46.6 to 54.8 J/mm(3) through predefined laser beam parameters from prealloyed powders. All the conditions yielded parts of >98.5% of theoretical density. X-ray microcomputed tomography analyses of the fabricated parts revealed minimal imperfections with enhanced densification at a higher ED input. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated a marginally larger d-spacing and tensile residual stress at the highest ED input that is ascribed to the steeper temperature gradients. Cellular to columnar dendritic transformation was observed at the highest ED along with an increase in the size of the solidified features indicating the synergetic effects of the temperature gradient and solidification growth rate. Density measurements indicated approximate to 99.5% theoretical density achieved for an ED of 50.0 J/mm(3). The maximum tensile strength of approximate to 660 MPa was obtained at an ED of 54.8 J/mm(3) through the formation of the columnar dendritic substructure. High ductility ranging from 25 to 30% was observed in all the fabricated parts irrespective of ED. The assessment of cytocompatibility in vitro indicated good attachment and proliferation of osteoblasts on the fabricated samples that were similar to the cell response on commercially pure titanium, confirming the potential of the additively manufactured Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta as a suitable material for biomedical applications. Taken together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of L-PBF of Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta for potentially engineering patient-specific orthopedic implants.

Automated summary

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) was used to additively manufacture a new generation orthopedic beta titanium alloy Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta for patient-specific implants. Different energy density inputs were tested and higher input resulted in improved densification and minimal defects. X-ray microcomputed tomography and X-ray diffraction analysis showed the influence of temperature gradients on the material properties. The fabricated Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta exhibited high ductility and good cytocompatibility, making it a promising material for biomedical applications.