Enhancing Surface Properties and Wear Performance of Material Extrusion Additively Manufactured 316L Stainless Steel Through Fine Particle Shot Peening with Hydroxyapatite for Biomedical Applications
摘要
Material extrusion additive manufacturing of metal often results in surface imperfections, e.g., stair-step effects and porosity, which can compromise mechanical and tribological properties. Shot peening is a viable technique to enhance surface quality and properties, but typically introduces media contamination. This study leverages the challenge by using hydroxyapatite (HA), a biocompatible material commonly employed for coating biomedical implants, as media. The research explores the effects of varied shot peening time on the surface morphology, surface roughness, HA layer formation, contact angle, subsurface hardness, and wear performance of MEX 316L stainless steel. The results demonstrate significant improvements in surface profile, though no notable changes in surface roughness average. The HA layer, reaching 5 to 9 µm thickness, forms after 25 minutes of peening. Moreover, plastic deformation and mechanically induced martensite become more pronounced with increasing peening time. The study reports a 51 pct increase in surface microhardness after 75 minutes peening. Furthermore, both coefficient of friction and wear volume decrease with extending peening time. The 75 minutes treatment emerges as the most effective approach, offering the best balance between surface quality, hardness, and tribological performance, paving the way for more durable and biocompatible implants.