Experimental Evaluation and Optimization of Nano-TiB2 Reinforced Ti6Al4V Alloy Hybrid Foams in 3D Printing for Biomedical Applications
摘要
The optimization of process parameters in 3D printing of titanium nano hybrid composite foams is critical for achieving superior mechanical and biological performance in biomedical applications. This study focuses on the fabrication and optimization of Ti6Al4V–Nano TiB2 composite foams using additive manufacturing techniques. An experiment was carried out to optimize parameters of SLM 3D printing. Ti6Al4V alloy powder was mixed with Nano-TiB2 particles to fabricate foam structures using the SLM method. Different compositions of TiB2 were added to the alloy to prepare samples with varying mesh space and nozzle temperatures. The optimal Design of Experiments was developed using Taguchi L9 technique and the samples were fabricated using SLM 3D printing. Mechanical properties were evaluated from fabricated samples as per ASTM standards. ANOVA technique was performed using Mini-Tab software to identify the optimal parameter combinations. Comparative analysis of different parameter combinations revealed that 0.2 wt% of TiB2 reinforcement, mesh spacing of 0.5 mm and nozzle temperature at 240 °C are the optimal parameters. These results indicate that mechanical properties are enhanced with the Nano-TiB2 particle addition when compared to conventional foams. SEM analysis was also performed for optimal parameter combinations to examine void formation, and the results show an improved surface finish compared to regular titanium foams. The study concludes that the integration of Nano TiB2 particles and precise control of 3D printing parameters significantly improve the performance of Ti6Al4V-based composite foams.