Comparison of Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties of TiO2/Ag Ceramics and Ti6Al4V-TiO2/Ag Composite Materials Using Combined SLM-SPS Techniques

Abstract

In present work, the combination of spark plasma sintering (SPS) and selective laser melting (SLM) techniques was introduced to produce composite materials where silver-doped titania (TiO 2 ) ceramics were reinforced with ordered lattice structures of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V. The objective was to create bulk materials with an ordered hierarchical design that were expected to exhibit improved mechanical properties along with an antibacterial effect. The prepared composite materials were evaluated for structural integrity and mechanical properties as well as for antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli. The developed titanium-silver/titania hybrids showed increased damage tolerance and ultimate strength when compared to ceramics without metal reinforcement. However, compared with titania/silver ceramics alone that exhibited significant antibacterial effect, titanium-reinforced ceramics showed significantly reduced antibacterial effect. Thus, to obtain antibacterial materials with increased strength, the composition of metal should either be modified, or covered with antibacterial ceramics. Our results indicated that the used method is a feasible route for adding ceramic reinforcement to 3D printed metal alloys.

Plasmas Processes Applied on Metals and Alloys

“…Spark plasma sintering and a selective laser melting technique were used in combination to fabricate TiO 2 /Ag ceramics and Ti 6 Al 4 V-TiO 2 /Ag composites. This technique provides a feasible route to add ceramic reinforcement to 3D printed metals and alloys [3]. An atmospheric-pressure pulsed-arc plasma jet was used for the nitridation of steel.…”

The Impact Resistance of Highly Densified Metal Alloys Manufactured from Gas-Atomized Pre-Alloyed Powders

“…The defective layer can be improved during sintering of the next layer of powders [4,5]. Ti6Al4V is an α + β titanium martensitic microstructure alloy widely used in the aerospace and biomedical industries, along with 316L, due to its excellent mechanical, chemical, biocompatible, and lightweight character [6][7][8]. The AM technique and its subset, three-dimensional (3D) printing, is an approach for the rapid prototyping of a wide range of metals and ceramics, complex geometries and structures, and small or large size objects in form of lattice or solid directly produced from the computer-aided model (CAD).…”

Fluoride Leaching of Titanium from Ti-Bearing Electric Furnace Slag in [NH4+]-[F−] Solution

“…Titanium dioxide is an irreplaceable high-grade functional white pigment and widely used in coatings [1], rubber [2], papermaking [3], printing [4] and other chemical industries [5][6][7][8][9][10], due to its characteristics, stable chemical properties, good color covering capability, high tinting strength and dispersion, nontoxicity, and electronic properties. Its application is a key indicator for evaluating the national modernization [11].…”