Abstract
The increased popularity of Ti and its alloys as important biomaterials is driven by their low modulus, greater biocompatibility, and better corrosion resistance in comparison to traditional biomaterials, such as stainless steel and Co–Cr alloys. Ti alloys are successfully used in severe stress situations, such as Ti–6Al–4V, but this alloy is related to long-term health problems and, in response, different Ti alloys composed of non-toxic and non-allergic elements such as Nb, Zr, Mo, and Ta have been developed for biomedical applications. In this context, binary alloys of titanium and tantalum have been developed and are predicted to be potential products for medical purposes. More than this, today, novel biocompatible alloys such as high entropy alloys with Ti and Ta are considered for biomedical applications and therefore it is necessary to clarify the influence of tantalum on the behavior of the alloy. In this study, various Ti–xTa alloys (with x = 5, 15, 25, and 30) were characterized using different techniques. High-resolution maps of the materials’ surfaces were generated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and atom distribution maps were obtained by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). A thorough output of chemical composition, and hence the crystallographic structure of the alloys, was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, the electrochemical behavior of these Ti–Ta alloys was investigated by EIS in simulated body fluid at different potentials. The passive layer resistance increases with the potential due to the formation of the passive layer of TiO2 and Ta2O5 and then decreases due to the dissolution processes through the passive film. Within the Ti–xTa alloys, Ti–25Ta demonstrates excellent passive layer and corrosion resistance properties, so it seems to be a promising product for metallic medical devices.
Highlights
Titanium achieves its excellent corrosion protection because of the high stability of the passive layer that develops on its surface [1], which can be re-formed at body temperature and in physiological fluid if it is damaged
The Nyquist plots for all the Ti–Ta alloys show the same incomplete semicircles with large diameters increasing with the potential due to the improvement of the protective properties of the passive film formed on the surface of the alloy
For all Ti–Ta alloys, the Bode phase plots exhibited one phase angle—typical for a capacitive barrier passive layer formed on the surface of an alloy
Summary
Titanium achieves its excellent corrosion protection because of the high stability of the passive layer that develops on its surface [1], which can be re-formed at body temperature and in physiological fluid if it is damaged. Ti–6Al–4V has significant toxicity; harmful tissue reactions are caused by vanadium and the release of both V and Al ions are related to long-term health disorders such as peripheral neuropathy and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases [8,9]. In response to these health problems, different Ti alloys composed of non-toxic and non-allergic elements such as Nb, Zr, Mo, Ta, etc., have been developed for biomedical applications [4,10,11,12]. A mismatch between these modules can lead to a reallocation of loads surrounding the implant, causing implant loosening [13]
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