Corrosion Behaviour of Ti6Al4V and TiMo10Zr4 Alloys in the Ringer’s Solution: Effect of pH and Plastic Strain

Abstract

The corrosion behaviour of titanium alloys is not well understood – especially the role of the microstructure and plastic strain. In this paper, the influence of the microstructure and plastic strain on the corrosion resistance of TiMo10Zr4 and Ti6Al4V alloys was studied in the Ringer’s solution at 37 °C. Measurements were performed for different pH values and in aerated and de-aerated solutions using potentiodynamic polarization techniques. Results obtained on the two alloys were compared. It was shown that in the absence of plastic strain TiMo10Zr4 shows better corrosion resistance than Ti6Al4V (especially for pH = 8). By contrast, the current density in the passive range measured after 8% plastic strain was greater on TiMo10Zr4 than on Ti6Al4V, indicating that the passive film on TiMo10Zr4 is less protective than that formed on Ti6Al4V.