Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) holds promise
for producing
medium to large industrial components. Application of WAAM in the
manufacturing of biomedical materials has not yet been evaluated.
The current study addresses two key research questions: first, the
suitability of the WAAMed Ti6Al4V alloy for biomedical applications,
and second, the effect of Ti6Al4V’s constituents (α and
β phases) on the cell viability. The WAAMed Ti6Al4V alloy was
fabricated (as-deposited: AD) using a metal inert gas (MIG)-based
wire arc system using an in-house designed shielding
chamber filled with argon. Subsequently, samples were subjected to
solution treatment (950 °C for 1 h), followed by aging at 480
°C (T1), 530 °C (T2), and 580 °C (T3) for 8 h and subsequent
normalization to ambient conditions. Microstructural analysis revealed
∼45.45% of α′-Ti colonies in the as-deposited
samples, reducing to 23.26% postaging at 580 °C (T3). The α-lath
thickness and interstitial oxygen content in the sample were observed
to be proportional to the aging temperature, peaking at 580 °C
(T3). Remarkably, during tribocorrosion analysis in simulated body
fluid, the 580 °C-aged T3 sample displayed the lowest corrosion
rate (7.9 μm/year) and the highest coefficient of friction (CoF)
at 0.58, showing the effect of increasing oxygen content in the alloy
matrix. Cell studies showed significant growth at 530 and 580 °C
by day 7, correlated with higher oxygen content, while other samples
had declining cell density. Additionally, optimal metallurgical property
ranges were identified to enhance the Ti6Al4V alloy’s biocompatibility,
providing crucial insights for biomedical implant development.