Synthesis of Gradient Biomaterials for Implants by Laser Direct Deposition and Sintering

该基金提供资金，以建立一种方法，并了解其使用三维直接激光沉积和烧结制造功能和结构梯度纳米复合材料的基本机制。所得到的材料将被设计成与天然骨的特性紧密匹配。镍钛醇和钛基纳米复合材料将构建具有生物相容性、骨导向性、先进组成和结构梯度的植入生物材料。一种多层激光镀膜工艺将在金属基材上形成功能梯度的纳米复合涂层。将开发多尺度、多物理场模型来模拟激光直接沉积和激光烧结过程。合成的梯度生物材料将对其力学特性、物理特性和生物特性进行表征。研究不同工艺参数对涂层性能的影响，以了解和找到一个良好的界面性能和细胞-材料相互作用的加工窗口。如果成功，该项目将产生一项关键的使能技术，将生物材料的进步整合到制造中，从而显著改善骨科行业的植入物。提出的一步工艺有可能大大减少制造时间和成本。该项目将使人们对这种生物复合材料在植入物性能方面的行为有了更好的了解。计算机模拟将建立一个更深入的了解激光沉积的多组分粉末和激光束之间的相互作用，他们的行为在熔池和凝固。实验和多物理场建模将为智能材料和纳米复合粉体的低温加工提供重要的科学依据。

This grant provides funding to establish a methodology and to understand its fundamental mechanisms for manufacturing functionally and structurally gradient nanocomposites using three dimensional direct laser deposition and sintering. The resulting material will be designed to closely match the characteristics of natural bone. Biocompatible, osteoconductive, advanced compositionally and structurally gradient implant biomaterials will be constructed with nitinol and titanium-based nanocomposites. A multi-layer laser coating process will form functionally gradient nanoscale nanocomposite coatings on metal substrates. Multi-scale, multi-physics modeling will be developed to simulate the laser direct deposition and laser sintering processes. The synthesized gradient biomaterials will be characterized for their mechanical characteristics, physical and biological properties. Influences of different processing parameters on the coating properties will be studied to understand and find a processing window for good interfacial property and cell-materials interaction. If successful, this project will result in a key enabling technology for integrating advances in biomaterials into manufacturing that lead to significantly improved implants for the orthopedic industry. The proposed one-step process has the potential to drastically reduce manufacturing time and cost. This project will bring about an improved understanding of this bio-composite material behavior in the performance of implants. The computer modeling will build a deeper understanding of laser deposition on the interaction between multi-component powders and the laser beam, their behavior in a molten pool and solidification. The experiments and multiphysics modeling will combine to provide a critical scientific basis for low temperature processing of smart materials and nanocomposite powders.