Corrosion Behaviour of Nitrogen-Implantation Ti-Ta-Nb Alloy in Physiological Solutions Simulating Real Conditions from Human Body

Abstract

We applied a new nitrogen-implantation technique (trademark Hardion+) using a source of nitrogen ions, electron cyclotron resonance that assures higher energy and deeper implantation than the conventional techniques. The N-implantation surface of the new Ti-25Ta-25Nb alloy was analyzed as follows: for the phase identification by x-ray diffraction (XRD) in a glancing geometry (1°); for the hardness by the nano-indentation method; for the corrosion behaviour in Ringer solutions of different pH values (simulating the real conditions from the human body) by cyclic and linear polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the monitoring of the open circuit potentials and corresponding potential gradients. XRD pattern was indexed with face-centred cubic TiN compound partially substituted with TaN and NbN. The hardness increased about 2 times for the N-implantation alloy. The implantation layer had a protection effect, increasing the corrosion and passivation potentials and decreasing the tendency to passivation and passive current density, due to its compactness, reinforcement action. The corrosion current density and rate decreased by about 10 times and the polarization resistance increased by about 2 times, indicative of a more resistant nitride layer. The porosity was much reduced and the protection efficiency had values closed to 90%, namely the implantation treatment led to the formation of a dense, resistant layer. Impedance spectra showed that the capacitive behaviour of the N-implantation alloy was more insulating and protective. An electric equivalent circuit with two times constants was modelled.