This chapter of the book presents the basis of classical powder metallurgy technologies and discusses powder fabrication, preparation, preliminary moulding, sintering and finish treatment operations. A general description of the materials and products manufactured with the classical powder metallurgy methods is presented. New variants are characterised along with special and hybrid technologies finding their applications in powder metallurgy. Special attention was drawn to microporous titanium and to TiAl6V4 alloy fabricated using hybrid rapid manufacturing technologies with selective laser sintering/selective laser melting (SLS/SLM) used for innovative implant scaffolds in medicine and regenerative dentistry. Laser deposition, thermal spraying and detonation spraying of powders are also discussed as special methods in which powders of metals and other materials are used as raw materials.
Part of the book: Powder Metallurgy
This chapter presents the outcomes of numerous own works concerning constructional solutions and fabrication technologies of a new generation of custom, original, hybrid, microporous high-strength engineering and biological materials with microporous rigid titanium and Ti6Al4V alloy skeletons manufactured by Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), whose pores are filled with living cells. The so constructed and fabricated implants, in the connection zone with bone stumps, contain a porous zone, with surface treatment inside pores, enabling the living tissues to grow into. As the adhesion and growth of living cells are dependent on the type and characteristic of the substrate it is necessary to create the most advantageous proliferation conditions of living cells inside the pores of a microporous skeleton made of titanium and Ti6Al4V alloy. In order to improve the proliferation conditions of cells ensured by a fully compatible substrate, internal coatings with TiO2, Al2O3 oxides and Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 hydroxyapatite of the surface of pores of a microporous skeleton made of titanium and Ti6Al4V alloy with SLS was used. Two technologies have been chosen for the deposition of thin coatings onto the internal surfaces of pores: Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and the sol-gel of deep coating from the liquid phase.
Part of the book: Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine