Tool Feed and Burr Size Influence on Wettability of Ti6Al4V Micro End-Milled

Abstract

Surface texturing, using micro-milling, has promising applications in the industry of medical implants, since it can assist cell adhesion and thus improve osseointegration. Ti6Al4V alloy is used as implant material due to its excellent biocompatibility and high mechanical strength. However, those mechanical properties reduce machinability creating some challenges for micro-milling. The way to initially assess cell adhesion is using surface wettability, usually conducted with water. At the present work, micro-channels were machined in Ti6Al4V by micro end-milling with 500 µm width per 50 µm depth with 1000 µm distant from each other. The effect of feed per tooth (fz) on wettability was analysed and some interesting relations with burrs formed on channel walls were obtained. Values of feed per tooth were 3, 6, 12 and 15 µm. Wettability results showed that slotted surface is more hydrophilic on channel direction, with contact angles around 30° to 43°. In contrast, on the perpendicular direction the surface tends to be hydrophobic with contact angles between 75° and 146°. In addition, contact angle increases (hydrophobic tendency) as feed per tooth increases (along with roughness), even on channel direction. The presence of burrs also tends to disturb wettability results. Therefore, surface wettability depends on channel direction, burr size and tool feed per tooth, as well.