Cobalt-based alloys for orthopaedic applications studied by electrochemical and XPS analysis

The composition of the passive layers formed by electrochemical oxidation at different passivation potentials on Co-Cr-Mo and Co-Ni-Cr-Mo alloys in simulated physiological solution (SPS), with and without the complexing agent EDTA, was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Composition as a function of depth, cationic fraction and thickness of the passive film was determined. Chromium oxide is shown to be the major constituent of the passive layer on both Co-Cr-Mo and Co-Ni-Cr-Mo alloys. The minor constituents of the passive layers, Co- and Mo-oxide in the case of Co-Cr-Mo alloy and Ni-, Co- and Mo-oxides in the case of Co-Ni-Cr-Mo alloy, are also located in the outer part of the layer. EDTA affects the formation of the passive layer on each alloy. The content of Co-, Ni- and Mo-oxide in the passive layer is lower in the presence of EDTA, thus indicating increased solubility associated with higher stability constants for complexes of metal cations with EDTA.     

Diamond-like carbon coatings for orthopaedic applications: an evaluation of tribological performance

A detailed investigation of the tribological behaviour of vacuum arc diamond-like carbon coated Ti–6Al–4V against a medical grade ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is conducted in this work in order to investigate the potential use of diamond-like carbon coatings for orthopaedic appplications. Lubricated and non-lubricated wear experiments are performed using a standard pin-on-disc wear tester. The coefficient of friction is monitored continuously during testing and wear rate calculations are performed using surface profilometry measurements of worn disc surfaces. Sliding wear tests show the existence of two distinct friction and wear regimes distinguished by physically different mechanisms. In the first stages of wear, adhesion and abrasion are the dominant mechanisms of wear while fatigue processes are activated later in the tests. The effects of diamond-like carbon coating structure, surface roughness and lubrication on tribological behaviour are presented. Optimal process–structure–property design for vacuum arc plasma deposition is utilized in order to obtain strong adhesion to the titanium alloy substrate. Diamond-like carbon coatings significantly improve the friction and wear performance of the orthopaedic bearing pair and show exceptional promise for biomedical applications. © 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Relationship between mechanical performance and microstructure in composites fabricated with flow-enhancing fabrics

The resin transfer moulding process involves the long-range flow of resin into a closed mould which is filled with dry reinforcement. High-performance composites require a high volume fraction of fibres, which results in low porosity of the fibre pack and therefore slow rates of mould filling. Commercial reinforcement fabrics are becoming available which promote faster resin flow than conventional fabrics, by engineering regions of large pore space into the reinforcement stack. However, theoretical models of the property-microstructure relationships have indicated that resin-rich areas (corresponding to filled large pore space) and fibre clustering will lead to degradation of the mechanical performance of the laminate. This report describes a series of compression and interlaminar shear tests on a range of twill-weave fabrics having ‘flow-enhancing’ tows substituted in the warp direction. The results provide some experimental support for existing theoretical models.     

纤维微结构与横向渗透率的关系

对不同纤维体积分数和不同纤维分布状态的纤维模型进行数值模拟, 分析纤维微结构的改变对流体流动行为的影响。结果表明, 在纤维体积分数低时, 纤维间最小距离对平均渗透率影响小; 在纤维体积分数高时, 平均渗透率随着最小距离的减小而减小。研究渗透率标准偏差与最小距离、 体积分数三者关系, 在纤维体积分数低时, 渗透率的标准偏差主要由最小距离决定; 在纤维体积分数高时, 渗透率的标准偏差由纤维体积分数及最小距离共同决定。      

Relation between processing,microstructure and mechanical properties of rheocast Al-Cu alloys

The role of microstructure in modifying the tensile strength of rheocast Al-10 wt % Cu and Al-4.5 wt % Cu is investigated by modelling these products as particulate composites. The tensile strength of rheocast AI-10 wt %Cu alloy is found to depend on experimentally determinable parameter which is an undefined function of the size distribution of proeutectic -particles. These products, however, possess lower strength than the conventional casting at equal porosity level. The tensile strength of the rheocast AI-4.5wt%Cu alloy shows an inverse square root dependence on the proeutectic -particle size, , and therefore appropriate rheocasting process parameters may be employed to bring about grain refinement in order to produce rheocastings possessing higher strength than the conventional casting at equal porosity level.     

The effect of titanium addition on the microstructure,mechanical and tribological properties of Ni3Si alloys prepared by powder metallurgy method

Ni₃Si alloy with different content of titanium was fabricated by powder metallurgy method. The microstructures, hardness and tribological properties of the alloys were investigation. The results showed that pure Ni₃Si alloy was composed of β₁‐Ni₃Si phase and γ‐Ni₃₁Si₁₂ phase, and Ni₃Ti phase formed with titanium addition. The hardness of the alloy decreased with the increasing titanium content. The friction coefficient of pure Ni₃Si alloy increased with the increasing load, while the friction coefficient of the alloy with titanium addition decreased. The wear rates of the alloys were all increased with increasing load, and the alloy with 5 % titanium addition had the best wear resistance properties. The wear mechanisms of the alloys were abrasive wear at low load, and the wear mechanisms changed to oxidative wear at high load.     

Synthesis,structure and tribological performance of tungsten disulphide nanocomposites

Tungsten disulphide nanocomposites were prepared in large scale by employing the direct reaction between tungsten nanoparticles and sulphur powders. The nanocomposites include a variety of shapes such as isolated WS₂ multi-layered sheets, WS₂-coated WO₃ nanoparticles, and enclosed fullerene-like WS₂ structures. Pin-on-disc wear tests indicate that the addition of a small amount (5 wt%) of these nanoparticles to paraffin decreases significantly the wear loss of the pin. Additives of these WS₂/WO₃ nanoparticles possess much better tribological performance than micrometer-sized WS₂ powders additives do. The surface topography of wear scar of the pins after wear tests with different additives and different loads were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Small (severe) damage of the pin surface was observed for WS₂/WO₃ nanoparticles (WS₂ micropowders) additives.     

Correlation between microstructure and tensile properties in powder metallurgy AZ91 alloys

The ultrafine-grained (0.3–1.3 μm) AZ91 alloys, which were fabricated by powder extrusion in the range of 200 to 350 °C and subsequent aging at 100 °C for 8 h, exhibit a remarkable yield stress of 360–478 MPa and moderate tensile elongations of 6–8%. A composite structure was developed after extrusion with uniform β (Mg₁₇Al₁₂) particles dispersed in magnesium matrix. The extrusion temperature has an indirect role on yield stress since partial dissolution of β particles induced by high extrusion temperature fails to retard grain growth. Moreover, the strength was further enhanced by the formation of nano-scale precipitates during artificial aging. The high strength could be attributed to a combination effect of grain refinement, particle reinforcement and precipitation hardening.     

Relationship between atomic ordering and fracture in Fe-Al alloys

The fracture surfaces of slowly cooled Fe-Al alloys containing up to 28 at. % Al were examined using scanning electron microscopy techniques. It was found that the fracture modes changed from void coalescence to transgranular and finally, to intergranular as the Al concentration increased. The latter two modes of fracture were of the brittle type and were associated with the onset of long range order in these alloys. In particular, it has been postulated that atomic ordering leads to markedly reduced cross-slip, in turn reducing the degree to which void coalescence, with accompanying ductility, can occur.     

Development of chromia forming Mo-W-Cr alloys: synthesis and characterization

The sintering process and microstructural characteristics of tungsten-based and molybdenum-based alloys containing chromium and group VIII metals as sintering agents have been investigated. The influences of the alloy composition, the nature of the sintering agent and the synthesis process on the microstructure and microhardness of these materials have been studied. Homogeneous alloys can be obtained with palladium or nickel as the sintering agent. The mechanisms are totally different with these two metals. In the case of nickel, diffusion of the refractory metals through a nickel layer is responsible for the densification of the alloys, whereas with palladium, a CrPd liquid phase at the grain boundaries leads to homogeneous sintering. Formation of the CrPd phase is directly dependent on the chromium content wich influences the solubility of palladium in the MoW matrix. Consequently, a low chromium content leads to a high CrPd content, and to an increase in the grain size. On the contrary, with a nickel sintering agent, ahigh Ni content leads to an increase in thickness of the interdiffusion layer and thus a decrease in the grain size. Sresses generated by uniaxial sintering and mechanical alloying are not released during the annealing sequence and contribute to increase the microhardness of the alloys. Microhardness is also a strong function of the tungsten content.     

Corrosion behaviour,microstructure and phase transitions of Zn-based alloys

This paper is aimed at investigating the corrosion behaviour, microstructure and phase transitions of Zn-based alloys with different compositions. The corrosion tests are carried out both in acidic medium using 1 N HCl solution and in temperature dependence of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In the two different media, in particular, the corrosion behaviour of Zn-based alloys with respect to Al and Si contents is examined, and microstructure in acidic and TGA and phase transformations in TGA are also studied. Corrosion mechanism in TGA is also examined in terms of oxidation parameters and activation energies. The study reveals that corrosion behaviour of Zn-based alloys in acidic medium shows sometimes an increase and sometimes a decrease with time due to Al content which assists in delaying the corrosion by forming a oxide layer on the surface of Zn-based alloys. This property does not appear in temperature dependence of TGA. Further, Si content appears to remain in main matrix without being affected by acidic solution. On the other hand, it is observed that in microstructure, AlO(Al₂O₃), ZnO oxides and Zn-Cu phase precipitations are formed in main matrix, grain boundaries and partially inside the grains.     

High performance nanocomposites for tribological applications: Preparation and characterization

High performance nanocomposites were prepared by incorporating 0–12 vol.% nano-sized (39 nm) Al₂O₃ particles into PEEK matrix using compression molding. The microhardness and dynamic mechanical properties of the nanocomposites increase with increasing Al₂O₃ content. The wear resistance of the nanocomposites evaluated at a sliding speed of 1.0 m/s and nominal pressure from 0.5 MPa to 1.25 MPa under dry sliding conditions was improved more than threefold at 0.8 vol.% Al₂O₃ content. However, the wear resistance of the nanocomposites containing above 1.67 vol.% Al₂O₃ was deteriorated, despite their higher hardness and stiffness as compared to that of nanocomposites containing lower Al₂O₃ content. The surface roughness of the wear track formed over the countersurface increases with increasing Al₂O₃ content. The coefficient of friction of nanocomposites was higher than that of pure PEEK. SEM and optical microscopy have shown that wear of pure PEEK occurs by the mechanism of adhesion mainly, whereas of nanocomposites by microploughing and abrasion. Energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) shows that Fe and alloying elements of countersurface transfer to the wear debris at higher Al₂O₃ content.     

Relationship between total productive maintenance and performance

Increased global competition has augmented the importance of total productive maintenance (TPM) in obtaining and maintaining a competitive advantage. More and more organizations are seeking proactive tools such as TPM to enhance their competitive position. The paper focuses on gaining insights into the impact of TPM on the performance of the organization. There is support for a positive correlation between TPM and business performance. There is also a positive correlation between TPM and business performance shown by all the six general constructs of corporate planning, top management leadership, human resource focus, process focus, total quality management focus and information system focus, and the three specific constructs of TPM strategies, TPM teams and TPM process focus. Clearly, this indicates the need for TPM to be an integrated effort for the entire organization. In addition, experienced and large TPM firms fare better in terms of business performance while there are no differences in the performance of manufacturing and services.     

Spray forming of aluminum alloys and its composites: an overview

In this article, the work that has been carried out in the area of spray forming of aluminum alloys and its composites has been summarized. The developments that had taken place in the past two decades in this area have been presented. Most of the researchers have investigated on the microstructural properties of these alloys and their composites. In this article, main emphasis was given to the microstructures, wear characteristics, and mechanical properties of as-cast and as-sprayed aluminum alloys. Also, this article is designed to provide the microstructures of as-cast and as-sprayed aluminum-15% silicon alloy. The microstructure of as-sprayed alloy has invariably indicated equiaxed grains throughout the deposit and has been observed that the Si particles are uniformly distributed in the Al matrix. Spray forming offers a combination of low cost manufacturing with enhanced properties and performance. As such it has emerged as a key competitor for existing technologies such as conventional casting, ingot metallurgy, and powder metallurgy.     

Phase and microstructure evolution in Cu-In-Cr alloys

Abstract

Cu-In-Cr ternary alloy specimens were prepared with a metal mould and analysed by OP, EPMA, SEM, etc. The results show that the phase composition of Cu-11In-10Cr (wt-%) ternary alloy in casting microstructure includes Cu solid solution, Cr solid solution and Cu₉In₄ (δ) phase. Cu solid solution has dendritic morphology while Cr solid solution is star or petal shaped and is dispersed. In solidification, the solid/liquid interfaces of Cu solid solution and Cr solid solution are nonfaceted and they form by continuous growth, Cu solid solution forms dendrites under the influence of constitutional supercooling, while Cr solid solution forms equiaxed dendrites owing to the restricted chromium content. Chromium content has an influence on the morphology of Cu solid solution dendrites and Cr solid solution.     

Properties of open-cell porous metals and alloys for orthopaedic applications

One shortcoming of metals and alloys used to fabricate various components of orthopaedic systems, such as the femoral stem of a total hip joint replacement and the tibial plate of a total knee joint replacement, is well-recognized. This is that the material modulus of elasticity (E′) is substantially larger than that of the contiguous cancellous bone, a consequence of which is stress shielding which, in turn, has been postulated to be implicated in a cascade of events that culminates in the principal life-limiting phenomenon of these systems, namely, aseptic loosening. Thus, over the years, a host of research programs have focused on the synthesis of metallic biomaterials whose E′ can be tailored to match that of cancellous bone. The present work is a review of the extant large volume of literature on these materials, which are called open-cell porous metals/alloys (or, sometimes, metal foams or cellular materials). As such, its range is wide, covering myriad aspects such as production methods, characterization studies, in vitro evaluations, and in vivo performance. The review also includes discussion of seven areas for future research, such as parametric studies of the influence of an assortment of process variables (such as the space holder material and the laser power in the space holder method and the laser-engineered net-shaping process, respectively) on various properties (notably, permeability, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance) of a given porous metal/alloy, innovative methods of determining fatigue strength, and modeling of corrosion behavior.