Abstract

Pure waterjet surface treatment without abrasive particles has a promising application in the biomedical field, because it induces compressive residual stresses on a metal surface and never leaves the tiny hard particles. In this work, the influence of operation pressure, standoff distance and the number of paths of the waterjet on the surface topography as well as the hardness was studied using the Taguchi method. The results showed that the most essential parameter is the operation pressure. By tuning the operation pressure from 100 to 300 MPa, the surface of Ti6Al4V specimens can be smoothed, roughened or damaged; when the surface layer is eroded, the new-born surface exhibits a clear stochastic nature accompanied by microvoids. The standoff distance benefits finer controlling the height parameters, whilst the number of paths affects the waviness. The hardening effect generated by the waterjet impingement extends to a few hundred-micron depth of the specimens, and the peak value of microhardness was found at a depth of 70 μm, which is an increase by greater than 20 %. The roughness parameters of Arithmetical mean height (Sa), Skewness (Ssk), Auto-correlation length (Sal), and Developed interfacial area ratio (Sdr) as a set are recommended to characterize the biomaterial’s surface. The present research results promote the application of waterjet treatment in the field of fine-tuning biomaterial surface morphology.

Introduction

The surface topography of the implant significantly influences the bone response [1,2]. There are two stages (short/long) of biological response after implantation [3]. One is the short-term response that a fibrous soft tissue is formed and capsules around the implant, and another response directly relates to bone-implant contact without the connective tissue layer, known as osseointegration [4]. The surface topography plays an important role in the biomechanical fixation between the implant and the soft fibrous tissue at the early stage of implantation. Meanwhile, the rate and quality of osseointegration that determine the long-term success of the clinic implantation are also affected by the surface topography [5]. The demand for specific surface finishes of biomedical devices [6] drives researchers to develop efficient surface modification methods.

Waterjet technology that places a sample under the waterjet itself and subjects it to the water pressure in the air or underwater is one of the promising methods [7,8]. As one of the fastest-growing technologies, the waterjet can machine (cut, drill and mill, clean, remove) almost any material [9]. Waterjet is used in a variety of fields from automotive and aerospace to medical and the food industries [10]. Particularly, pure waterjet induces compressive residual stress to enhance fatigue strength [11], and never leaves tiny residues (hard particles) on a metal surface compared to the abrasive waterjet, it holds tremendous promise in the medical industry [7,11].

Conclusion

Using the Taguchi method, nine waterjet experimental cases were designed and conducted. The influence of the operation pressure, standoff distance, and the number of paths on the surface topography and the areal roughness parameters as well as the hardness were analyzed and discussed. The main conclusion is drawn as follows:
• Among the three process parameters of waterjet treatment, the most critical one is the operation pressure. The standoff distance is beneficial for finer control of the height parameters, whilst the number of paths affects the waviness.

• By increasing the operation pressure from 100 to 300 MPa, the surface of Ti6Al4V specimens can be smoothed, roughened, or damaged; when the surface layer is eroded, the new-born surface exhibits a clear stochastic nature accompanied by microvoids.

• The hardening effect generated by the impingement of waterjet spans over a few hundred microns width, with the peak microhardness being found at a depth of 70 μm, which increases by over 20 %.

• After a comprehensive analysis of the 5 categories of 14 areal roughness parameters, the parameters of Sa, Ssk, Sal, and Sdr as a set are recommended to characterize the biomaterial’s surface.