Experimental biocompatibility investigations of Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy in micromilling operation in terms of corrosion behavior and surface characteristics study

Titanium (Ti)-based alloy is extensively used in the biomedical field due to its properties that promote osseointegration. The present work deals with an experimental study on the effect of microcutting of Ti–6Al–7Nb on corrosion resistance and surface characteristics for enhanced biocompatibility. Experiments were carried out by using Taguchi L 9 orthogonal array with process variables include cutting speed ( v c ), feed per tooth ( f z ), and depth of cut ( a p ). Microslot of size 700 µm for a length of 10 mm was made using high-speed micromachining station under wet condition. Surface morphology study was carried out using a scanning electron microscope and the inference was made. It is inferred that lower v c of 31.4 m/min and higher a p condition of 200 μm yield more microparticle adhesion and burr formation. At higher v c , minimum defects were found which results in fine surface finish. Potentiostat setup was used for corrosion resistance measurement, and corresponding I corr values were obtained from potentiodynamic polarization curve. I corr values are found as minimum at higher v c and lower a p conditions. Changes in surface characteristics are analyzed after corrosion study. It is observed that at higher v c and lower a p conditions, Ti–6Al–7Nb alloy exhibits higher corrosion resistance under in vitro condition that can promote osseointegration.