Tailoring the bioactivity of commercially pure titanium by grain refinement using groove pressing

Commercial pure titanium (cpTi) sheets have been processed by groove pressing (GP) at room temperature to refine the grains so as to improve its properties for bone implant applications. Atomic force microscopy revealed submicron/nano roughness features on the processed cpTi. The contact angle measurements show good wettability and higher surface energy when compared to unprocessed cpTi. The bioactivity of the GP samples in simulated body fluid was also found to be enhanced with the formation of a homogenous and dense globular hydroxyapatite layer. The Ca/P ratio of the apatite layer was around 1.66 as similar to the bone mineral phase. The bioactivity enhancement of GP samples has been related to the submicron grain features which results in an increase in the surface roughness and wettability.