The wear behavior of ion-implanted Ti-6A1-4V against UHMW polyethylene.

Nitrogen-ion-implanted Ti-6A1-4V against UHMW polyethylene was tested on a joint simulator to evaluate the wear behavior under different conditions. It was concluded that the polymer wear rate was not affected by ion implantation. The metallic wear, on the other hand, was substantially reduced by this treatment. It was also found that ion implantation resulted in good protection of the metal surface against third-body wear by PMMA, while the introduction of C.P. titanium particles in the joint initiated tremendous wear. Although ion implantation improved the wear of titanium alloy against UHMW polyethylene, the durability of the implanted layer needs further study.