Effect of Heat Treatment on Osteoblast Performance and Bactericidal Behavior of Ti6Al4V(ELI)-3at.%Cu Fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

• Cu addition to alloys for biomedical applications has been of great interest to reduce bacterial growth. In situ-alloyed Ti6Al4V(ELI)-3at.%Cu was successfully manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). Even so, post-heat treatments are required to avoid distortions and/or achieve required/desired mechanical and fatigue properties. The present study is focused on the investigation of microstructural changes in L-PBF Ti6Al4V(ELI)-3at.%Cu after stress relieving and annealing treatments, as well as their influence on osteoblast and bactericidal behavior. After the stress relieving treatment, a homogenously distributed β phase and CuTi2 intermetallic precipitates were observed over the αʹ matrix. The annealing treatment led to the increase in amount and size of both types of precipitates, but also to phase redistribution along α lamellas. Although microstructural changes were not statistically significant, such increase in β and CuTi2 content resulted in an increase in osteoblast proliferation after 14 days of cell culture. A significant bactericidal behavior of L-PBF Ti6Al4V(ELI)-3at.%Cu by means of ion release was found after the annealing treatment, provably due to the easier release of Cu ions from β phase. Biofilm formation was inhibited in all on Cu-alloyed specimens with stress relieving but also annealing treatment. 

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

aluminum

copper

titanium

vanadium

Article

bacterial growth

bacterial strain

bactericidal activity

bone mineralization

cell proliferation

cell viability

colony forming unit

controlled study

energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy

Escherichia coli

heat treatment

human

human cell

nonhuman

osteoblast

particle size

powder bed fusion

scanning electron microscopy

Staphylococcus aureus

X ray diffraction

bactericidal effect

laser powder bed fusion

microstructure

osteoblast activity

Ti–Cu alloys

Materials Science

Materialvetenskap

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