Ti6Al4V cellular structures impregnated with biomedical PEEK - New material design for improved tribological behavior

Abstract In the present work, a new material design of Ti6Al4V-PEEK hybrid cellular structure with improved wear resistance is proposed. Samples with different dimensions of the open-cells (350, 400, 450, 500 μm) were fabricated by Selective laser melting (SLM) technology, while Hot pressing (HP) technology was employed to produce Ti6Al4V-PEEK hybrid cellular structures. The tribological tests were performed in Phosphate Buffered Saline solution at 37 ± 2 °C. Results demonstrated that the addition of the biomedical PEEK protected the Ti6Al4V cellular structures, thus improving these hybrid structures wear resistance when increasing the amount of PEEK. The obtained results indicated that the Ti6Al4V-PEEK hybrid cellular structure with the dimensions of the open-cells of 500 μm is a suitable structure for orthopedic implants, with improved properties.