Fabrication and characterization of porous Ti6Al4V parts for biomedical applications using electron beam melting process

A direct metal rapid prototyping (RP) fabrication technique, electron beam melting (EBM) process, was utilized to fabricate porous Ti6Al4V parts with fully interconnected, controlled internal pore architecture. The macroporous structure of fabricated parts was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The strut and pore sizes of the parts were measured by quantitative image analyses. The mechanical properties were investigated by compressive tests. The compressive strength and Young's modulus of parts proved to be compatible with those of nature bone. The potential of EBM process for fabricating Ti6Al4V parts with controlled internal pore architecture meeting the requirements of orthopedic implants is demonstrated. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.