Surface modification of titanium alloys using laser ablation technique

• Grant number: 24/22233-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Physical Metallurgy
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Mara Pinto de Almeida
• Grantee: Gustavo Henrique Zambon
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/07994-9 - Cell viability study in titanium alloys superficially modified by laser ablation, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

This work aims to study the effects of surface modification of titanium alloy samples through laser ablation technique for application in prosthesis. Usualy, cemented implants do not promote bioadhesion between the implant and the bone, resulting in infections in the surrounding area, leading to implant failure. Since the surface is the local where interactions between the biological environment and the implant occur, the goal of this research project is to use pulsed laser irradiation to develop an ideal interface, that ensures osseointegration between the implant and the bone, enabling the use of cementless prostheses.The material to be investigated is the Ti-6Al-4V alloy, a biomaterial widely employed in the medical industry due to its properties, such as high tensile strength, good hardness, low elastic modulus similar to that of human bone, thermal stability, and excellent corrosion resistance. The technique employed, known as laser ablation, involves focusing a laser beam on the sample surface to remove or modify the material in the irradiated regions. This technique offers advantages, including precise control of laser parameters such as wavelength, pulse duration, fluence, beam power, and scanning speed. It is also a clean, fast, and fully automated process that allows for the creation of complex geometries on the material's surface.At the end of the project, after studying the laser's effects on the metallic surface, it will be possible to establish the ideal irradiation parameters that promote osseointegration between the implant and human bone.