Comparison of surface topography in machining Ti alloys for biomedical applications: correlative microscopy approach for qualitative and quantitative analysis

Abstract

In the last decades, the demand for biocompatible materials has increased because they are widely selected to manufacture medical devices such as dental and surgical implants. The improvement of these materials used to fabricate biocomponents is a constant objective in research focused on reducing negative impacts on patients. Currently, the most commonly used metal alloy in the biomedical industry is Ti-6Al-4V. Although it has interesting properties, this material may present a risk to the patient due to the presence of vanadium. Alternatively, the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy may be a candidate to replace traditional alloys, however more studies are required for understanding the machining techniques of biomedical components. The study of surface topography, through modern microscopy techniques, presents great potential to optimize the machining process of this material. The objective of this work was to propose a correlative microscopy technique for a comparative analysis of surfaces machined by the turning process of the Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloys. This technique was based on the association of the extended field-depth method from Optical Microscopy (OM) with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and microanalysis modes.publishe