Mechanoactivated TiNbZrSi powder for strong and wear-resistant biomedical coatings

The paper presents a study of morphology and chemical composition of the TiNbZrSi powder customized by mechanoactivation in an experimental high-energy vibration ball mill equipped with steel mortars and balls of different diameters. The initially synthesized as-cast TiNbZrSi tablet was preliminarily ground into a powder with fraction of about 400 µm using a conventional bench hammer. After that, the above powder was subjected to mechanoactivation within 4 hours in an Ar atmosphere at room temperature. In addition, the synthesized TiNbZrSi powder was deposited onto additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V ELI substrates through their co-mechanoactivation followed by annealing for 1 hour at a temperature of 800 °C to ensure better adhesion. The characterization of the TiNbZrSi powder before and after co-mechanoactivation with the specified substrate was carried out by scanning electron microscopy.