Abstract
Ti6Al4V alloy has been considered as a key component used in ultrasonic scalpels. In this series of papers, the fabrication, structure, and mechanical and ultrasonic properties of medical Ti6Al4V alloys suitable for ultrasonic scalpel are studied systemically. These alloys with low elastic modulus and present a typical bimodal microstructure with relatively high β phase content (~40%) and lamellar α thickness of ≤ 0.9 µm. In the first paper, the relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-rolled Ti6Al4V alloys treated by heating treatment is discussed. In the second paper, the dependence of the ultrasonic properties on the microstructure of the heat-treated Ti6Al4V alloys is reported. With increasing solid solution temperature, the content and size of the primary α phase decrease. In contrast, the content and size of the lamellar α phase increase. Additionally, the β phase content first increases and then decreases. The microstructure of Ti6Al4V alloys could be slightly changed by aging treatment. When the solid solution treatment temperature increases to 980 °C from 960 °C, the average size of the lamellar α phase in the alloys increases by 1.1 µm. This results in a decrease in the average yield strength (93 MPa). The elastic modulus of alloys is mainly controlled by the β phase content. The microstructure of alloys by solution-treatment at 960 °C shows the highest β phase content and lowest average elastic modulus of 99.69 GPa, resulting in the minimum resonant frequency (55.06 kHz) and the highest average amplitude (21.48 µm) of the alloys at the length of 41.25 mm.
Highlights
Since the 1990s, ultrasound surgery operation has become widely used in the field of biomedicine.The development of an efficient, precise, and flexible ultrasonic scalpel (UAS) has become a hot topic ever since [1]
The residual β phase content gradually increases with the solid solution temperature increased to 920 ◦ C and cause a decrease of elastic modulus of the alloys. These two factors together lead to the elastic modulus of as-received alloys and the alloys solid solution treated at 920 ◦ C is basically the same
It is stressed that when the aging that when the aging temperature increases to 750 °C from 600 °C, the volume fraction and size of the temperature increases to 750 ◦ C from 600 ◦ C, the volume fraction and size of the primary α phase primary α phase remains unchanged at about 39% and 11 μm. These results show that in a certain remains unchanged at about 39% and 11 μm. These results show that in a certain aging temperature aging temperature range, the volume fraction and size of the primary α phase in the Ti6Al4V alloys range, the volume fraction and size of the primary α phase in the Ti6Al4V alloys have no significant have no significant dependence on the aging temperature, a conclusion that is consistent with the dependence on the aging temperature, a conclusion that is consistent with the observation that the observation that the volume fraction of the primary α is mainly affected by the solution temperature volume fraction of the primary α is mainly affected by the solution temperature [18]
Summary
Since the 1990s, ultrasound surgery operation has become widely used in the field of biomedicine. Wilkie et al [4] fabricated five distinct kinds of the microstructure of Ti6Al4V alloys ultrasonic scalpel through heat treatment. They further concluded that the samples with the equiaxial structure show better acoustic properties and higher acoustic attenuation than the alloys with fully lamellar samples. There is still a lack of systematic studies on the relationship between the phase content, size, and mechanical and ultrasonic properties of Ti6Al4V alloy. These two papers aim to prepare Ti6Al4V alloys with significantly different microstructure combining the solid solution with aging treatment. Further study will focus on the influence of microstructure on ultrasonic properties
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