Effect of infrared nanosecond pulse laser polishing on surface quality, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour of additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V alloy

Ahuir-Torres, JI ORCID: 0000-0002-3160-0223, Longhitano, GA, West, G, Bashir, M ORCID: 0000-0002-4331-4275 and Kotadia, HR ORCID: 0000-0002-3466-4337 (2026) Effect of infrared nanosecond pulse laser polishing on surface quality, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour of additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V alloy. Progress in Additive Manufacturing. pp. 1-18. ISSN 2363-9512

Preview

Text Effect of infrared nanosecond pulse laser polishing on surface quality, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour of additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V alloy.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of complex Ti–6Al–4V components for biomedical applications, yet surfaces produced by electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) and laser-based powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) typically exhibit high roughness and surface defects that compromise corrosion performance. Conventional continuous-wave laser polishing can reduce their roughness, but it often induces microstructural changes that degrade the properties of AM alloys. This study demonstrates that infrared nanosecond-pulsed laser polishing provides an improved surface quality and corrosion resistance free of microstructural modification. EB-PBF and LB-PBF Ti–6Al–4V samples were polished using an infrared nanosecond pulsed laser and evaluated in terms of surface roughness, microstructure, and corrosion behaviour in simulated body fluid. Laser polishing reduced surface roughness by up to 38% for EB-PBF (from Sa ~ 40 to 25 µm) and 25% for LB-PBF (from Sa ~ 12 to 9 µm), while exhibiting a localised modification of the microstructure. Electrochemical testing revealed a significant increase in passive film breakdown potential (ΔE = 1.901–2.001 V for EB-PBF and 1.800–1.900 V for LB-PBF), accompanied by a reduction in passive current density of approximately 85% for EB-PBF and 40% for LB-PBF. EB-PBF samples displayed the highest breakdown potential after polishing (2 V). Overall, nanosecond laser polishing is a promising method for improving the surface integrity and corrosion resistance of AM Ti–6Al–4V components for biomedical applications.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	4014 Manufacturing Engineering; 40 Engineering; 4014 Manufacturing engineering
Subjects:	T Technology > T Technology (General) T Technology > TN Mining engineering. Metallurgy
Divisions:	Civil Engineering and Built Environment
Publisher:	Springer
Date of acceptance:	6 July 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	3 August 2026
Date Deposited:	03 Aug 2026 14:10
Last Modified:	03 Aug 2026 14:10
DOI or ID number:	10.1007/s40964-026-01851-0
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/29098

View Item