Preparation of Titanium Alloy/Bioactive Glass Composite for Biomedical Applications via Selective Laser Melting

Abstract

Selective laser melting (SLM) is widely used for the additive manufacturing (AM) of metal components, which can produce net shape complex geometries. Novel titanium alloy/bioactive glass composites were successfully fabricated via SLM method for biomedical applications. The fabricated composites contained a Ti₅Si₃ phase, which resulted from the reaction between the titanium alloy and the bioactive glass. The phase can improve the bonding strength between composite and bone. Additionally, the remained amorphous bioactive glass phase could improve bioactivity. The present study opens a new avenue for developing new titanium alloy/bioactive glass composites with optimal bioactivity and bonding strength with the bone.