By: Cossa TEM

Evaluation of the Mechanical and Tribological

Properties of Increasing Alumina Content on Ti-6Al-4V
OUTLINE
1. Introduction
2. Problem Statement
3. Aim and Objectives
4. Significance of Research
5. Methodology
6. Results and Discussion
7. Contribution to Knowledge
8. Conclusion and Recommendations
9. References
1. Introduction

Limitations
Applications
> Low hardness
> Biomedical
> Poor wear
> Aerospace resistance
> Automotive
Ti-6Al-4V
> Corrosion Resistance
> Weigh to strength

Alumina
SPS
> High wear resistance
> Pressure aided
> Thermal resistance > Electric pulse
> Chemical stability
 2. Problem Statement

• When Ti-6Al-4V is employed in industries where it requires wear resistance such as in the biomedical

industry as joint replacement implants, during the wearing it releases metallic debris and ions, resulting in

loosening of the implant due to loss of material (Buciumeanu, et al., 2017).

• The alloy has a drawback of low hardness and wear resistance. The characteristic of poor wear

resistance limits the application of Ti-6Al-4V in industries where excellent corrosion and tribology

properties are essential.

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3. Aim and Objectives
AIM
• The aim of this research is to evaluate the mechanical and tribological of increasing aluminium content
on Ti-6Al-4V based composites developed by spark plasma sintering.

OBJECTIVES

• Characterisation of Ti-6Al-4V and Al2O3 as-received and admixed powders with varying contents of Al2O3.

• Sintering Ti-6Al-4V powder and admixed powders at varying sintering temperatures to form Ti-6Al-4V
based composites via spark plasma sintering.
• Characterisation of as-sintered products using SEM, XRD
• Evaluating the influence of sintering temperature on the hardness and tribology of the produced
composites.

• Studying the tribological properties of the Ti-6Al-4V reinforced with varying Al2O3 content.

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4. Significance of research

• With the increase in elderly people being at risk of degenerative bone diseases and joint problems, there

is a demand for bone and joint replacement implants, this entails for research on advanced biomaterials

(Dudek, et al., 2016).

• Reinforcing Ti-6Al-4V with hard inert particles of Al2O3 can be employed for these purposes as both

materials are bio-inert, the limitations of the alloy such as poor wear resistance would be improved in the

composite formed.

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5. Methodology
LEBM sintering
• SEM (1000x) • SEM (1000x)
• XRD • Dry milling • XRD • 1000C &
• 10:1 1100C
• 150 rpm • 10 min
Characterisation • 6 hours • 100 C/min
Admixed powders
of as-received • 50MPa Sand blasting
Characterisation
powders

Tribology
Microscopy
Characterisatio
Characterisation
• Cold mounting • Vickers n
• P320-P1200 • SEM • HV/0,2 • 5N
• 3 µm polish • Optical • 0,5 cm/s
• 186 etchant Microscope • SD 10 mm
Hardness • Ampl 8mm
Sample Characterisatio
preparation n

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6. Results and Discussion

Satellite agglomerates

Spherical shape

Irregular shape lumps

Figure 1: SEM micrographs of as-received powders of (a) Al 2O3 at 944x

magnification, (c) Ti-6Al-4V at 1kx magnification and (b) EDS analysis of
Al2O3 powder

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6. Results and Discussion

Figure 2: SEM micrographs of admixed mechanically milled powders of Ti-6Al-4V/Al 2O3

(a) 5%Al2O3 at 1.51kx (b) 10%Al2O3 at 1.49kx, (c) 15% Al2O3 at 1.46kx and (d-f) EDX
analysis respectively

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6. Results and Discussion
Ti6Al4V
5AluminaTi64
10AluminaTi64
15AluminaTi64

In te n s ity (a .u ).

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
2 theta Degree
Figure 3: X-ray diffraction spectra of Ti-6Al-4V and admixed Ti-
6Al-4V and Al2O3 powders

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6. Results and Discussion

Figure 4: Optical Microstructure at 50x magnification of as-sintered at 1000C and 1100C

respectively (a),(b)Ti-6Al-4V, (c),(d) 5% Al 2O3, (e),(f) 10% Al2O3,

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6. Results and Discussion

The hardness of the composites increases with

Increasing Alumina content

Figure 5: The variation of Hardness with increasing Al 2O3 content in Ti-6Al-4V

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6. Results and Discussion

The results obtained from the wear test

contradicts the finding by Falodun et al
(Falodun, et al., 2018) where they reinforced
Ti64 with TiN and the increase in hardness
also resulted in the increase in wear
resistance of the material.

Figure 6: Variation of Friction with increasing Al2O3 content in Ti-6Al-4V

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7. Conclusion

• The hardness results show an increase in hardness with the increase of alumina content.

The reinforcement of the Ti-6Al-4V matrix with alumina played a role in strengthening the

resultant composites, by dispersion strengthening mechanism.

• The wear resistance decreased with the increase in alumina content up to 10wt% Al2O3 and

then increase with the increase in alumina content to 15wt%

• The 15wt% milling and sintering parameters gave the optimum tribological properties and

hardness.

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8. Recommendations

In order to improve the wear resistance and toughness of the Ti-6Al-4V/Al2O3 composites it

would be recommended to reinforce them with graphite. Graphite as reinforcing constituents

will incorporate the lubricating effect into the matrix of the composite due to its property to

cleave readily.

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References
Falodun, O. E. et al., 2018. Influence of spark plasma sintering on microstructure and wear
behaviour of Ti−6Al−4V reinforced with nanosized TiN. Transaction of Nonferrous Metals Society
of China, Volume 28, php. 47-54.

Lütjering, G. & Williams, . J. C., 2007. Titanium. 2nd ed. Berlin: Springer-Verlag Berlin
Heidelberg.

Lütjering, G., 1998. Influence of processing on microstructure and mechanical properties of

(α+β) titanium alloys. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 243(1-2), pp. 32-45.

Prakash, K. S., Gopal, P., Anburose, D. & Kavimani, V., 2016. Mechanical, corrosion and wear
characteristics of powder metallurgy processed Ti-6Al-4V/B4C metal matrix composites. Ain
Shams Engineering Journal.

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