Corrosion Performance of Ti6Al7Nb Alloy in Simulated Body Fluid for Implant Application Characterized Using Macro- and Microelectrochemical Techniques

Abstract

In this paper, the applicability of Ti6Al7Nb as a more biocompatible alternative for bone and dental implants than Ti6Al4V and pure titanium in terms of corrosion resistance and electrochemical inertness is investigated. The chemical inertness and corrosion resistance of the Ti6Al7Nb biomaterial were characterized by a multi-scale electrochemical approach during immersion in simulated physiological environments at 37 °C comparing its behavior to that of c.p. Ti, Ti6Al4V, and stainless steel. The establishment of a passive regime for Ti6Al7Nb results from the formation of a thin layer of metal oxide on the surface of the material which prevents the action of aggressive species in the physiological medium from direct reaction with the bulk of the alloy. Conventional electrochemical methods such as potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) provide quantified information on the surface film resistance and its stability domain that encompasses the potential range experienced in the human body; unfortunately, these methods only provide an average estimate of the exposed surface because they lack spatial resolution. Although local physiological environments of the human body are usually simulated using different artificial physiological solutions, and changes in the electrochemical response of a metallic material are observed in each case, similar corrosion resistances have been obtained for Ti6Al7Nb in Hank’s and Ringer’s solutions after one week of immersion (with a corrosion resistance of the order of MΩ cm2). Additionally, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) provides in situ chemical images of reactive metal and passive dielectric surfaces to assess localized corrosion phenomena. In this way, it was observed that Ti6Al7Nb exhibits a high corrosion resistance consistent with a fairly stable passive regime that prevents the electron transfer reactions necessary to sustain the metal dissolution of the bulk biomaterial. Our results support the proposition of this alloy as an efficient alternative to Ti6Al4V for biomaterial applications.