Dominika Beata Kwidzińska

Laser surface treatment conducted at different power levels is an option to modify titanium bone implants to produce nano- and microtopography. However, such processing can lead to excess mechanical stress within the surface layer. This research aims to calculate the level of such residual stresses after the surface processing of Ti grade IV, Ti15Mo, and Ti6Al7Nb alloys with an Nd:YAG laser. Light and scanning electron microscopies (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), optical profilography, and nano-indentation tests were applied to characterize the surface zone. The laser processing resulted in a distinct surface pattern and the formation of remelted zones 66–126 µm thick, with roughness values ranging between 0.22 and 1.68 µm. The mechanical properties were weakly dependent on the material composition. The residual stresses caused by the laser treatment were moderate, always tensile, increasing with loading, and was the highest for the Ti15Mo alloy.

Nowadays, surface engineering focuses on research into materials for medical applications. Titanium and its alloys are prominent, especially Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-13Nb-13Zr. Samples made of pure grade IV titanium and the titanium alloys Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-13Nb-13Zr were modified via laser treatment with laser beam frequency f = 25 Hz and laser beam power P = 1000 W during a laser pulse with duration t = 1 ms. Subsequently, to analyze the properties of the obtained surface layers, the following tests were performed: scanning electron microscopy, chemical and phase composition analysis, wetting angle tests and roughness tests. The assessment of the impact of the laser modification on the internal stresses of the investigated materials was carried out by comparing the values of the stresses of the laser-modified samples to those of the reference samples. The obtained results showed increased values of tensile stresses after laser modification: the highest value was found for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy at 6.7434 GPa and the lowest for pure grade IV titanium at 3.742 GPa. After laser and heat treatment, a reduction in the stress was observed, together with a significant increase in the hardness of the tested materials, with the highest value for Ti-6Al-4V alloy at 27.723 GPa. This can provide better abrasion resistance and lower long-term toxicity, both of which are desirable when using Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloys for implant materials.