Fundamental studies of Cobalt-base superalloy biomedical prototypes fabricated by electron beam melting: microstructures and microstructural architecture
Abstract
Rapid prototyping, especially electron beam melting (EBM) technology by ARCAM have proven to provide outstanding microstructural and mechanical properties on different alloys fabricated by this technology. Being a computer designed driven technology, complex components, that are hard or even impossible to fabricate by traditional manufacturing techniques, can be fabricated by layer-by-layer EBM technology. Microstructural and mechanical properties are compared for an EBM femoral knee component prototype with a traditionally-fabricated and body-removed femoral knee implant. Block and cylindrical shape components fabricated by EBM were also analyzed for this project. The alloy utilized for these components is Co-26Cr-6Mo-0.2C characterized by the standards of ASTM F75 cobalt alloy. Microstructural characterization was performed by optical metallography as well as SEM, TEM, EDS and XRD. Mechanical properties consist of Vickers and Rockwell-C scale hardness, as well as tensile testing. Tensile testing for the EBM as-fabricated components and annealed components was performed in two different directions. Only hardness testing was possible on the patient-extracted, traditional knee component.
Subject Area
Inorganic chemistry|Materials science
Recommended Citation
Gaytan Guillen, Sara Marisela, "Fundamental studies of Cobalt-base superalloy biomedical prototypes fabricated by electron beam melting: microstructures and microstructural architecture" (2011). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI3489980.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI3489980