High efficient surface finishing of bio-titanium alloy by large-area electron beam irradiation

A new surface finishing process for bio-titanium alloy products by large-area electron beam (LAEB) irradiation is proposed. In the LAEB irradiation equipment, high energy density EB can be irradiated without concentrating the beam. Therefore, LAEB with a maximum diameter of 60 mm can be used for instantaneous melting or evaporating metal surface. Experimental results made it clear that the surface roughness becomes smaller with increasing energy density of beam. Under a proper irradiating condition, the surface roughness of titanium alloy machined with end mill decreases from 10 to 0.8 mum R-z in a few minutes. Moreover, the corrosion resistance can be greatly improved. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.