Chemistry Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Winter 1-20-2024
Journal
Electrochimica Acta
Volume
475
Issue
December 2023
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2023.143650
Abstract
The biomedical titanium alloy Ti6Al4V has excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility and is, therefore, widely used in orthopedic and orthodontic implants. Biomedical implants are increasingly fabricated by additive manufacturing, such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). These manufacturing protocols often include sandblasting, surface finish, and passivation. This study aims to investigate the effect of different surface finishes and the commonly used ASTM F86-13 nitric acid passivation for LPBF Ti6Al4V on its corrosion resistance, metal release, and surface changes in benign (bovine serum albumin in a pH 7.4 buffer) and harsh (hydrochloric acid at pH 1.5) solutions using various electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Electrochemical, solution and surface analysis showed an insignificant effect of passivation. Smooth surfaces exhibited a slightly better corrosion resistance than rough surfaces due to a 10-20% smaller true surface area and lower protein adsorption. Implanted ceramic beads from the sandblasting procedure remained on the surface even after the mirror-polishing and passivation procedures.
