Study of the Tribocorrosion occurring at the implant and implant alloy Interface: Dental implant materials

Abstract

Abstract This paper quantitatively determines the effects of the wear and corrosion phenomenon in dental implant materials when subjected to a simulated oral environment. A dental implant is a mechanical system that undergoes tribo-corrosion at the interface between the implant and abutment alloy where material degradation is commonly seen. The wear coefficient, wear volume loss, wear depth and rate of corrosion of the 3 materials under consideration: Grade 5 Titanium (Ti6Al4V), Yttria Stabilized Zirconia and Zirconia Toughened Alumina are determined. Comprehensive evaluation of such tribo-corrosive mechanical systems in simulated oral environments will provide a clear understanding of the material loss that occurs due to wear and corrosion interactions at the interface between the implant and abutment alloy for combinations of various implant-implant alloy materials. The materials under consideration were subjected to dry sliding wear in accordance with the ASTM G99 standard for 12,000 cycles. The wear volume loss and coefficient of friction were recorded simultaneously for the pin | disc combinations. To replicate realistic conditions, a small surface area of the materials was subsequently subjected to the potentiodynamic polarization corrosion technique in accordance with the ASTM F2129 standard to reveal the concurrent changes in corrosion kinetics in the presence of Artificial Saliva, that is being used in-vitro to facilitate electrochemical behavior of the materials at bodily pH levels. The results indicate that Zirconia Toughened Alumina is better suited to resist material loss due to both wear and corrosion in dental implants.