Influence of the synthesis technique on tribological behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Abstract In this work, the microstructure, mechanical properties and wear behaviour of Ti-6Al-4V alloy were investigated. Ti-6Al-4V samples were obtained from different routes; i) a commercially wrought bar, ii) cast sample, iii) a spark plasma sintering, and iv) foam. The resulting materials were comprised of hexagonal–close packed (α–phase) and body–centered cubic (β–phase) crystalline structures, with the volume fraction depending on their processing technique, as well as their porosity and hardness. After wear tests, the COF and wear rate were related to the α– and β–phase sizes and distribution. Foam samples demonstrated the best combination of hardness, wear resistance, and lightweightness, those of which are all beneficial for biomedical applications.