Wear Properties and Microstructural Evolution of LENSŪ Deposited Ti/TiC Composite Coatings

Increasing the wear performance of implant bearing surfaces is essential to increased orthopedic implant functionality and longevity. Metal-on-metal bearing surfaces have great potential to improve the wear properties of non-conformal bearing surfaces, replacing metal-on-polymer bearing surfaces and increasing the life of implants. Laser based metal deposition has been shown to be a suitable methodology for the depositions of such bearing surfaces. In the current study, Ti/TiC composite coatings were fabricated from powder mixtures of selected Ti to TiC volume fractions using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENSŪ). Wear properties of the Ti/TiC coatings and CoCrMo as a control material were characterized with pin-on-disk wear tests. Microstructures of the Ti/TiC coatings and wear surfaces were characterized using optical microscopy. These Ti/TiC composite surfaces had significantly enhanced wear performance compared to the CoCrMo control. The ability to deposit these coatings on bone in-growth materials, titanium castings and other implant structures makes possible the creation of unique orthopedic implants with improved performance.