Mechanical micro-texturing and characterization on Ti6Al4V for the improvement of surface properties

The present study utilized a micro-milling facility to fabricate micro dimple textures with extruded center on Ti6Al4V. Geometrical parameters have been varied in order to study the surface properties. The area surface roughness and cross-sectional form of textures were measured by a 3D profilometer. Further, the equilibrium contact angle was measured with ultra-pure water, diiodomethane, and formamide. The surface free energy (SFE) was obtained by three different methods (Owen & Wendt, Wu, and LWAB). The SFE components calculated from LWAB approach sheds more light on the wetting behavior of textured surfaces. Results indicate that the formed textures are defect-free, in good shape and with sharp corners. The area surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and SFE of textured surfaces increases in all geometrical configuration. Further, the surface properties change with the size of the texture. The SFE calculated from all three approaches are in good agreement for each textures configuration. The present study may be helpful to facilitate protein adsorption, cell growth, adhesion, proliferation, and osseointegration rate and to provide insightful information about textured surface properties.