Titanium fabricated by selective laser melting: microstructure, wear and corrosion behavior in different orientations

Purpose Studies on titanium implants have shown that the mechanical properties of the parts are affected by the microstructure characteristic derived from the manufacturing process. The properties of different orientations of specimens under the same process parameters will be different, which should be considered in the application of bone implants. This paper aims to understand the influence of microstructure on micro-hardness, wear and corrosion resistance in different orientations. Design/methodology/approach The authors manufactured titanium parts and carried out micro-hardness, wear tests and electrochemical corrosion of different orientations under the same process conditions. Then, finally studied the evolution mechanism of the microstructure in different orientations and its influence mechanism on wear and corrosion mechanism. Findings The melting method makes the grains on the surface in XY orientation finer. The wear mechanism of XY orientation is abrasive wear, that of XZ and YZ orientations are adhesive wear. During corrosion, XY orientation forms a stable passivation film earlier. Compared with XZ and YZ orientations, XY orientation has higher micro-hardness, better wear and corrosion resistance. Originality/value In this paper, the microstructure, wear and corrosion resistance of selective laser melted parts were discussed and the differences in different orientations under the same experimental conditions were discussed. The evolution mechanism of the microstructure in different orientations and its influence mechanism on wear mechanism and corrosion mechanism was studied. The mechanical anisotropy of selective laser melted components was discussed.