The effect of grain refinement of Ti6Al4V on mechanical performance and cell adhesion

Titanium and its alloys are favourite materials for medical implant applications. They owe this popularity to their desirable biocompatibility, excellent corrosion resistance and superior mechanical properties when compared to Co-based alloys and 316L stainless steel. This compelling biomaterial underwent the development from commercial pure α titanium to (α + β) alloys, which are represented by Ti6Al4V, to new β alloys (Ti8Mo8V2Fe3Al, Ti11.5Mo6Zr4.5Sn, etc.) with lower elastic modulus and toxicity. Although being blamed for toxic ion release (aluminium and vanadium), Ti6Al4V is still one of the most commonly used titanium alloys owing to its accessibility, wide application and further improvement. Over the last decades, ultrafine-grained materials produced by Severe Plastic Deformation have drawn great attention thanks to their enhanced mechanical properties and biological properties. Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP), as one of the successful Severe Plastic Deformation techniques, has been applied in biomaterials to produce ultrafine grained (UFG) materials with superior tensile strength and fatigue properties and biocompatibility, especially with regard to cell attachment. In this project, we focus on how the grain refinement of Ti6Al4V affects its strength, fatigue properties, and cell response to its surface.