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

这笔赠款提供资金，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。最终得到的材料将被设计成与天然骨的特征非常匹配。生物相容、骨传导、先进的成分和结构梯度植入生物材料将由镍钛和钛基纳米复合材料构建。多层激光涂层工艺将在金属衬底上形成功能梯度纳米复合涂层。将发展多尺度、多物理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性能、物理性能和生物性能进行表征。研究不同的工艺参数对涂层性能的影响，以了解和寻找良好的界面性能和细胞-材料相互作用的工艺窗口。如果成功，该项目将产生一项关键的使能技术，将生物材料方面的进步整合到制造中，从而显著改进整形外科行业的植入物。提议的一步法工艺有可能大幅减少制造时间和成本。该项目将带来对这种生物复合材料在植入物性能方面的行为的更好的理解。计算机模拟将加深对激光沉积多组分粉末与激光束之间的相互作用、它们在熔池中的行为以及凝固过程的理解。这些实验和多物理模型将结合起来，为智能材料和纳米复合粉末的低温加工提供关键的科学基础。

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.