Surface hardening by anodizing and heat treatments of Ti6Al4V alloys for articular prostheses.

This paper presents a study of the surface hardening of Ti6Al4V alloy produced by electrochemical anodizing and by different heat treatments, in addition to studying the annealing of the martensitic structure. Results of the combination of both methods produce hardening over 1300 HV and an important improvement on the tribological behaviour. These values could improve wear resistance of this alloy in applications like articular prostheses.