Structural, Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Spark Plasma Sintered Ti6Al4V Alloy

The influence of spark plasma sintering parameters on the structural, mechanical and tribological characteristics of the Ti6Al4V alloy, which is used as implant material in biomedical engineering, was investigated. The experimental data confirm that full density and attractive mechanical properties can be obtained using the spark plasma sintering method. Tribological tests, performed in dry conditions, allowed the authors to indicate the most suitable sintering parameters. The material characterized by the highest wear resistance was selected for further tribological testing in articulation with UHMWPE in simulated body fluids. Although the weight of the polymeric material articulating against the sintered Ti6Al4V was slightly higher compared to the UHMWPE articulating against the reference material (Ti6Al4V rod), the friction coefficient was lower.