[Comparison of mechanical properties of laser-welded wrought and cast titanium]

Abstract

Objective: This study was aimed to compare the mechanical properties of laser-welded wrought and cast titanium.

Methods: According to relevant reports and clinical demands, the specimens of TA2 were machine milled or cast into certain sizes using LZ centrifuge-vacuum-pressure titanium casting machine. This experiment involved four groups including the laser-welded wrought titanium group, the laser-welded cast titanium group, the wrought titanium group and the cast titanium group. There were 6 complete specimens in each group and the specimens were ultrasonically cleaned with ethyl and distilled water before they were welded with home-made Nd:YAG apparatus, and comparisons of mechanical properties were made among these groups. All tensile specimens were mounted on the Instron universal testing machine to test tensile loads, yield loads and absolute elongations were measured. The cross section of fractured surface was observed under S-2700 Hitachi SEM and Vickers' microhardness values in different areas were detected with AKASHI microhardness tester.

Results: It was showed that the tensile load of laser-welded wrought titanium made no difference from that of the original wrought titanium, but the yield load of laser-welded wrought titanium was bigger than that of the original wrought titanium. The tensile load and yield load of cast titanium were slightly bigger than those of wrought titanium. The tensile load and yield load of laser-welded wrought titanium made no statistic difference from those of laser-welded cast titanium. The absolute elongations of cast or welded titanium were lower than those of wrought or non-welded titanium. The fractured surface of cast titanium under SEM appeared lath-like structure and that of welded cast titanium honeycomb-like structure. The honeycomb-like structure of wrought titanium was more obvious than that of laser-welded wrought titanium. The microhardness value of laser-welded cast titanium was slightly bigger than that of laser-welded wrought titanium.

Conclusion: The mechanical property of laser-welded wrought titanium might be not apparently different from that of laser-welded cast titanium.