Material and Process Hybridisation for Implant Materials - Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) of Titanium Powders on In-mould Labelled Metallic Nonwovens in Injection Moulded Zirconia (CIM) Substrates

The research aims not only at the hybridisation of metal and ceramic structures via an innovative textile interface, but also at the hybridisation of conventional and additive powder technologies. In this way, multifunctional components with a geometric complexity are producible. One focus is on powder injection moulding in combination with in-mould labelling and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). Composite components are bonded to each other by means of a metallic textile nonwoven. Due to the inherent properties of the nonwoven, like non-directional structure of thin fibres and isotropic compressibility, it can partially embedded in the ceramic substrate and sintered without damaging the composite due to the different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) and shrinkage behaviour of ceramics and metals. For applications in implantology, in this case zirconia is bonded with titanium via LPBF by using a steel nonwoven to create the bond between the two materials and at the same time act damage tolerant.