Evaluation of the influence of machining variables on the surface condition after titanium alloys milling

ABSTRACT

The fulfillment of physiological performance criteria that lead to the proper structural and functional connection between bone and implant, called osseointegration, is closely related to the surface characteristics of the biomaterial, which depend on the processes involved in its manufacture. Thus, the present work aims to expand the understanding about the influence of machining conditions on the surface integrity of commercially pure titanium grade 4 and Ti-6Al-4V ELI components submitted to the milling operation. Therefore, from a complete factorial design 2³, the type of tool, the machined titanium alloy and the cutting speed were selected as influencing factors. Three different roughness parameters were used as response variables on the surface state, namely: mean roughness (Ra), asymmetry (Rsk) and flatness (Rku) of the profile. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the tool corresponds to the main influencing factor of this study, being significant over all response variables. The machined titanium alloy was also shown to have an influence on the results of mean roughness, while the cutting speed exhibited a significant influence both on the average roughness and on the asymmetry parameter. Precisely in relation to skewness, it is noteworthy that the different tools used produced consistently opposite results, that is: while one tool model resulted in a surface with wide peaks and deep valleys, the other model resulted in shallow and wide valleys. Thus, it is considered quite likely that the use of geometry tools and different materials will affect the biomaterial's response in terms of cell viability.

Keywords
Manufacturing; Biomaterial; Implants; Surface integrity; Roughness