Electrochemical investigation of chromium oxide-coated Ti-6Al-4V and Co-Cr-Mo alloy substrates

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study of corrosion characteristics of palladium-silver dental alloys

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been used to obtain insight into corrosion processes for three Pd-Ag alloys, and compare their behavior with an Au-Pd alloy. Five specimens of each alloy received clinically-appropriate simulated porcelain-firing heat treatment. EIS testing was performed at ambient temperature, using 0.09% NaCl, 0.9% NaCl and Fusayama solutions. EIS data are presented as Bode plots. At the open-circuit potential (OCP), the data fit a modified Randles equivalent electrical circuit with a constant phase element (CPE), and the charge-transfer resistance (R_CT ) and the two CPE parameters (CPE-T and CPE-P) were determined. The area-normalized capacitance of the double layer (C_dl ) was also calculated. The EIS data at two relevant elevated potentials in the passive range were also found to fit well a modified Randles equivalent circuit with different values for the charge transfer resistance and CPE parameters. At the OCP no significant effect on R_CT was found for the alloys and electrolytes, and both alloy and electrolyte significantly affected CPE-P. In vitro corrosion was controlled by charge transfer and charge accumulation processes, and the behavior differed at the elevated potentials compared to the OCP. Significant effects were found for alloy, electrolyte, and alloy/electrolyte interaction on C_dl at the OCP. The EIS parameters at elevated potentials indicate that the Pd-Ag alloys should have satisfactory clinical corrosion resistance. The EIS analyses yielded information about in vitro corrosion of these alloys that cannot be obtained from potentiodynamic polarization testing.

Chromium oxide coatings with the potential for eliminating the risk of chromium ion release in orthopaedic implants

Chromium oxide coatings prepared by radiofrequency reactive magnetron sputtering on stainless steel substrates were exposed to Ringer's physiological solution and tested for their electrochemical corrosion stability using an open circuit potential measurement, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis. The coatings were found to be predominantly Cr₂O₃, based on the observation of the dominance of [Formula: see text] and E_g symmetric modes in our Raman spectroscopic investigation and the E_u vibrational modes in our Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic measurements on the coatings. We investigated for the presence of chromium ions in Ringer's solution after all of the above electrochemical tests using atomic absorption spectroscopy, without finding a trace of chromium ions at the ppm level for coatings tested under open circuit and at the lower potentials implants are likely to experience in the human body. The coatings were further exposed to Ringer's solution for one month and tested for adhesion strength changes, and we found that they retained substantial adhesion to the substrates. We expect this finding to be significant for future orthopaedic implants where chromium ion release is still a major challenge.

Corrosion resistance and in vitro response of a novel Ti35Nb2Ta3Zr alloy with a low Young's modulus

β type titanium alloys have attracted much attention in the biomedical field because they consist of non-cytotoxic elements, show high corrosion resistance, and are biologically compatible. In this study, a novel β type titanium alloy (Ti35Nb3Zr2Ta) with a Young's modulus of 48 GPa was fabricated and the alloy's corrosion resistance and in vitro response were determined. The results indicate that the novel alloy exhibits comparable corrosion resistance when compared with Ti6Al4V, but in vitro experiments show that osteoblasts attach, spread, proliferate, and differentiate better on Ti35Nb2Ta3Zr than on Ti6Al4V. The high corrosion resistance and satisfactory biocompatibility make the novel Ti35Nb3Zr2Ta alloy a promising biomaterial for surgical implants.