Enhanced wear resistance and surface properties of oxide film coating on biocompatible Ti45Nb alloy by anodization method

Abstract

β-Titanium alloys have become increasingly popular as biomaterials because of their low modulus of elasticity and superior corrosion properties in recent years. β-titanium alloy containing niobium is also a biocompatible and non-toxic material. Among β-Ti alloys, Ti45Nb is one of the most remarkable alloys for its superior properties as a biomaterial. This alloy has superior properties due to low elasticity modulus and non-toxic elements, but its surface properties are inadequate for biomaterial applications. Therefore, various surface treatments are applied to improve the surface properties of these alloys. In this study, an oxide film layer was formed on the Ti45Nb surface under different potential conditions by the anodizing method. The effects of these factors on friction, wear, and contact angle measurements were investigated. The structural properties of the oxide film coated samples were analyzed with XRD and their surfaces and cross-sectional images were observed by SEM. Also, the surface roughness and nanoindentation tests were performed. In this regard, it was determined that oxide film thickness, surface roughness and hardness increased with the increase of anodization potential. The contact angle of the samples decreased with the increase in the anodization potential and the surface tension of the materials increased. The highest nanohardness of about 4.19 GPa was obtained from 150 TA samples. The elasticity modulus of the untreated sample was about 63 GPa, while the anodized samples ranged from an average of 31 to 83 GPa. The wear results revealed that the anodization process improved the wear resistance of the Ti45Nb alloy. As a result, the sample anodized at 200 V for 30 min exhibited optimum surface roughness, morphology and high wear resistance.