Design and characterization of Ti64 parts printed by extrusion 3D for bone implant applications

This work presents the characterization of a prototype for a vertebral bone implant. The part was fabricated by extrusion 3D printing and sintering using pellets of Ti64 powders. Parts were consolidated by a debinding step at 500 °C and sintered at 1150 °C in a horizontal furnace under argon atmosphere. Microstructure characterization was performed by computed microtomography and scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that it’s possible to obtain a complex part by 3D printing, although different defects were detected. Part’s shape is consistent with the designed model, excepted for the finer details. Interparticle porosity was detected, resulting in a permeability large enough to possibly promote bone ingrowth. Final microstructure contains α + β Ti lamellas. The main finding is to develop a processing route to fabricate parts with tailored porosity by extrusion 3D printing, which is promissory for bone implants. However, optimizing the impression parameters to achieve an excellent final shape is necessary.