Abstract
Titanium and its alloys are among the most promising biomaterials for medical applications. In this work, the isothermal oxidation of Ti-6Al-7Nb biomedical alloy towards improving its mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and bioactivity has been developed. The oxide layers were formed at 600, 700, and 800 °C for 72 h. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), 3D profilometry, and microindentation test, were used to characterize microstructure, surface geometrical structure, and the hardness of the diphase (α + β) Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy after oxidation, respectively. In vitro corrosion resistance tests were carried out in a saline solution at 37 °C using the open-circuit potential method and potentiodynamic measurements. Electronic properties in the air were studied using the Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) technique. The bioactivity test was conducted by soaking the alkali- and heat-treated samples in simulated body fluid for 7 days. The presence of apatite was confirmed using SEM/EDS and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) studies. The thickness of oxide layers formed increased with the temperature growth from 0.25 to 5.48 µm. It was found that with increasing isothermal oxidation temperature, the surface roughness, hardness, corrosion resistance, and contact potential difference increased. The Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy after oxidation revealed the HAp-forming ability in a biological environment.
Highlights
Titanium and its alloys are widely used biomaterials for medical applications due to the favorable ratio of strength to specific gravity, good corrosion resistance, and high biocompatibility [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
The effect of the isothermal oxidation parameters of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy on surface geometrical structure, microhardness, in vitro corrosion resistance in a saline solution, and bioactivity is discussed for the first time
The contact potential difference (CPD) maps were recorded for the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy at the initial state and after isothermal oxidation using scanning electrochemical workstation PAR M370 (Princeton Applied Research, Oak Ridge, TN, USA) equipped with a tungsten Kelvin Probe (KP, ø500 μm)
Summary
Titanium and its alloys are widely used biomaterials for medical applications due to the favorable ratio of strength to specific gravity, good corrosion resistance, and high biocompatibility [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. The excellent biocompatibility of titanium and its numerous alloys results mainly from a natural passive layer present on the surface, significantly impacting bone tissue reaction [16,17]. Due to their safety and the possibility of long-term use, these materials are used in various medical fields in the form of joint endoprostheses, elements of an artificial heart, surgical devices, elements of medical devices, and prosthetic implants [3,18]. The surface of titanium and its alloys modified in this way is characterized by favorable properties and corrosion resistance, resulting from the formation of a highly crystalline oxide layer in the rutile crystallographic form [7]. The effect of the isothermal oxidation parameters of the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy on surface geometrical structure, microhardness, in vitro corrosion resistance in a saline solution, and bioactivity is discussed for the first time
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