POWDER MIXED EDM FOR BIOMEDICAL ALLOYS

Abstract

The biomedical application of implants is currently becoming one of the most promising manufacturing methods. In fact, due to the challenging environment of the human body for biomedical implants, bio-implant manufacturing technologies should possess bio-functional characteristics on the surface. However, existing methods of implant manufacturing have some limitations, such as thin and nonuniform coating, and the inability to coat porous surfaces, which is possible with EDM. This review focuses on biomedical materials of implant that applies replacement of hard tissue in the human body. As it was found, Ti alloys with β stabilizers are the most biocompatible alternative for human bone replacement due to their unique advantages over other implant materials. On top of that, surface modification can be done by powder mixed-electro discharge machining (PMEDM). This technique allows for obtaining mechanical properties similar to the bone as well as increasing surface topology resulting in better biocompatibility. This research aims to improve the biocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy through Powder Mixed EDM machining. A systematic investigation was conducted on multi-scale EDM machines, resulting in significant improvements in machining performance by optimizing input parameters and powder additive concentration in dielectric. The results of macro and micro EDM experiments indicate that careful selection and optimization of parameters can enhance efficiency and quality. Furthermore, micro wire EDM machining can effectively reduce bacterial adhesion on metallic surfaces, making it a promising method for biomedical applications. The SEM and EDS results suggest that a proper combination of base material, electrode tool, dielectric, and powder additive can enhance biocompatibility. These findings have significant implications for biomedical applications of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, and further studies can investigate the effectiveness of Powder Mixed EDM machining on other metallic materials and its potential applications in various biomedical fields.