Effect of Heat Treatment Conditions on the Electrochemical Capability and Mechanical Properties of Titanium Grade V Alloy for Biomedical Applications

Metallurgy Department, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

^* Corresponding author: darebaruwa@gmail.com

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the sustainability of grade V Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) in NaCl, as well as its mechanical properties for biomedical applications. Improving titanium alloys is critical for producing alloys with minimal side effects. The impacts of structure, indentation test, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance of six titanium alloys after aging were explored in this work. The heat treatment was carried out in a tube furnace with an inert gas, commencing at ambient temperature and progressing to a high temperature of 955°C. For 10 minutes, air and water were used to cool the sample. The samples were then heated to a continuous temperature tempering at 525°c in three steps for both air(A) and water(W) cooled samples 2, 3, and 4 hours. The microstructure was examined using an optical microscope, the corrosion rate was calculated using a potentiostat, hardness was estimated using the Rockwell B scale, and wear resistance was determined using a universal wear tester. It was observed that the water-quenched samples performed better than the air-cooled samples in terms of characteristics. Above all, the dwelling period during the aging process has a greater influence on the material’s characteristics.