The Influence of Laser Alloying of Ti13Nb13Zr on Surface Topography and Properties

Abstract

Abstract The laser alloying is a continually developing surface treatment because of its significant and specific structuration of a surface. In particular, it is applied for Ti alloys, being now the most essential biomaterials’ group for load-bearing implants. The present research was performed on the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy subject to laser modification in order to determine the treatment effects on surface topography and its some mechanical properties like nanohardness, Young’s modulus, roughness. A pulse laser Nd:YAG was applied at three different laser pulse regimes: either 700 W, 1000 W or 1000 W treatment followed by 700 W modification at a pulse duration of 1 ms. The surface topography and morphology were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with spectroscope of X-ray energy dispersion. The mechanical properties were determined by nanoindentation tests and surface roughness with a use of profilograph. The wettability was tested with a goniometer. The obtained results demonstrate complex behavior of the material surface: decrease in penetration distance and increase in hardness after first laser treatment, maintenance of this trend when machining using a higher laser pulse power, followed by an increase in penetration and decrease in hardness after additional laser treatment at lower power input, due to which a surface with fewer defects is obtained. The change in Young’s modulus follows the change in other mechanical properties, but not a change in roughness. Therefore, the observed hardening with the increase of the laser pulse power and then a small softening with the use of additional treatment with lower power can be attributed to some processes of remelting, diffusion and crystallization, sensitive to the previous surface state and heat energy flux. Despite that, the laser treatment always caused a significant hardening of the surface layer.