Surface nanocrystallization and biomedical performance of Ti-Ta laminated composite processed by surface mechanical grinding treatment

Ti-Ta laminated composites suffer from the inadequate wear resistance and deficient antibacterial properties. To promote their application, surface mechanical grinding treatment (SMGT) was employed to modify their surface physicochemical properties. This work systematically investigated the microstructure, phase composition, roughness, biological activity, friction and wear behaviors as well as anti-bacterial adhesion effect of Ti-Ta SMGT samples. The results showed that the nanocrystallization of the Ti-Ta laminated composites after SMGT was achieved, and the strength and elastic modulus met the requirements of the third-generation medical titanium alloys. The modification of the surface properties such as roughness, hardness, chemical state and surface energy improved their tribological properties in simulated body fluids and prevented the anti-bacterial adhesion for staphylococcus aureus, indicating the promising prospect of Ti-Ta SMGT samples for biomedical applications.