Electrochemical Corrosion Investigation of 49-Cell Combinatorial Library of Titanium-Based Alloys Fabricated by DMD

Abstract

This combinatorial materials science study investigated the corrosion resistance of titanium alloys. A combinatorial library of 49 alloys of titanium was fabricated by the direct metal deposition (DMD) technique. This library consisted of a single cube of metal with discrete regions, each region containing discrete, selected percentages of aluminum and iron. In situ characterization of these regions allowed a rapid evaluation of the 49 alloys for potential use in biomedical implants. The resistance to electrochemical corrosion in Hanks’ solution of each titanium-based alloy was tested using the cotton tape electrochemical polarization method. High concentrations of Al (corrosion rate of the in the 49-cell sample) or Fe (corrosion rate of the ) caused an uneven distribution of alloying elements in the phases, which resulted in poor corrosion resistance in biofluids compared to pure titanium (corrosion rate ). The best corrosion resistance in Hanks’ solution was demonstrated by the Ti–5Al–4Fe (corrosion rate ).