Laser Surface Modification of Ti6Al4V-Cu for Improved Microhardness and Wear Resistance Properties

To modify the properties of Ti6Al4V alloy, Cu has been added to host an antimicrobial effect in the revised alloy for marine application. The Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) process on the Ti6Al4V alloy and Cu was been investigated for surface modification in order to combat the problem of biofouling in the marine industry. The investigations focused on the microstructural observations, micro-hardness measurements and dry sliding wear in the presence of 3 and 5 weight percents of Cu. The microstructure results showed that Widmanstätten microstructures were formed in all the samples and lose thei...