Development of mechanical, surface and biocompatibility properties of Ti6Al4V alloy used in biomedical applications by various surface modification techniques

Ti6Al4V alloy is a biomaterial that is frequently used in implant production due to its many positive properties such as low density, high strength/weight ratio, high corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility. Although it is widely used for current orthopedic applications, the surface properties of Ti6Al4V alloy are open to continuous improvement with the developing technology. In this study, Ti6Al4V alloy has been subjected to different surface modifications, surfaces that will increase the integration between implant and bone are produced and the characterization, mechanical properties and biocompatibility of these materials have been revealed. For this purpose, firstly etching and sandblasting parameters were studied on Ti6Al4V samples and it was seen that etching process alone was not sufficient, but if it was done after sandblasting, surfaces with the desired roughness could be obtained. After obtaining the optimum surface roughness among the samples etched with different parameters after sandblasting, nano-sized TiO2, TiN and Ta2O5 coating process was applied to the surfaces by PVD method. Characterization results (surface roughness, XRD, XPS, SEM), mechanical, abrasion and in vitro corrosion test results of samples produced in single and double combinations were examined. The in vitro bioactivity of the coating surfaces was evaluated by keeping the samples with high abrasion and in vitro corrosion resistance in simulated body fluid. When all the results are examined, the effect of the use of intermediate layer was not observed in the surface imaging technique, SEM analysis and XPS analysis used to determine the elements on the surface, while the effect of both the intermediate layer and the etching parameters applied to the substrate was clearly seen on contact angles, mechanical properties, wear and corrosion resistance of the coating.