Corrosion behaviour and microstructure evolution of 17-4 PH stainless steel foam

Abstract

This study describes corrosion behaviour and microstructure evolution of 17-4 PH stainless steel foam, which was produced for biomedical implant applications. 17-4 PH stainless steel foam was produced by the space holder-sintering technique. The effect of boron addition, aging, sintering temperature and sintering time on the corrosion behaviour and microstructure of the 17-4 PH stainless steel foam was investigated. Microstructure of the 17-4 PH stainless steel foams was examined by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope. The corrosion behaviour of the 17-4 PH stainless steel foam was investigated by using neutral salt spray (fog) and accelerated aging tests. The 17-4 PH stainless steel foams were exposed to salt spray solution, which consisted of 5% NaCl with pH of 6.68, in a closed cabin at 35°C. The surface of the foams after the corrosion test was observed by optical microscope and the digital photographs were analysed by an image analyser. The corrosion resistance of boron-added foams was higher than boron-free 17-4 PH stainless steel foams. Aging heat treatment slightly decreased the corrosion resistance of the 17-4 PH stainless steel foams. Increasing sintering temperature and sintering time increased the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel foams.