The Effect of Chemical Composition of Biological Solutions on the Tribocorrosive Behavior and Synergistic Wear of Titanium Grade V Alloys for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Currently, the impact of tribocorrosion on medical devices such as dental implants has achieved notable effects since tribocorrosion is directly correlated with the longevity of the prosthesis. In a scenario where the phenomenon involves several variables, both from the tribological and chemical fields, this work aims to investigate the effect of the chemical compositions of biological solutions on the coupling of titanium grade V-alumina. The experimental tests were performed by a reciprocating tribometer equipped with a potentiostat and by a confocal/interferometric laser microscope connected with high-performance software for particle and wear analysis. The latter was evaluated by the synergistic approach, which is commonly adopted in the scientific community, as the sum of mechanical and synergistic effects. The results underlined that sodium lactate induced the greatest volume loss as much as the greatest tribocorrosive current and friction coefficient. On the other hand, the presence of salts such as sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate also influenced the tribocorrosive response of titanium grade V alloys. In conclusion, the analytical equation considered for synergistic wear was modified by the introduction of a novel coefficient derived from the direct relationship between the friction coefficient and synergy and compared with the experimental data, providing a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.89.