Fabrication of Highly Ordered TiO<SUB>2</SUB> Nanotube Arrays via Anodization of Ti–6Al–4V Alloy Sheet

Abstract

Uniform and highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated by the electrochemical anodic oxidation on Ti-6Al-4V surface, using graphite plate as cathode and ethylene glycol (EG) with addition of a certain amount of H2O and NH4F as electrolyte, and the anodization voltage went up to a presetting voltage by stepwise increment. The morphology, structure and composition of TiO2 nanotube arrays were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS. The formation process of TiO2 nanotubes was introduced in brief. The experiments were arranged by an orthogonal experiment method and the experimental results showed that the formation of TiO2 nanotube arrays was influenced by not only each factor (F- content, H2O content, external voltage and duration), but also cross correlation among the four factors. The optimal condition was F- content 0.2 wt%, H2O content 4 vol%, external voltage 40 V and duration 1 h in the studied electrochemical system, and the length of obtained nanotubes was 1.5 microm, the outer diameter was approximately 100 nm and the aspect ratio was 15. As-formed nanotube arrays were amorphous and changed to anatase TiO2 after annealed at 500 degrees C for 2 h in air ambience. XPS survey spectra revealed the surface of as-formed nanotube arrays containing Ti, O, C, F and N. The nanotube arrays on Ti-6Al-4V surface with better thermo-stability and crystallinity would have great potential in biomaterials.