Corrosion resistance of sintered AISI 316L-hydroxyapatite biomaterials in Ringer's solution

Abstract

AISI 316L-hydroxyapatite biomaterials were produced by the conventional powder metallurgy technology. In the case of materials such as these, proper and long-term functioning in the aggressive environment of body fluids is very important. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hydroxyapatite content and sintering temperature on the properties including sintered density, open porosity, and in particular corrosion resistance of AISI 316L-hydroxyapatite biomaterials in Ringer's solution. The measurement of sintered density and open porosity of studied materials was carried out by the water-displacement method. The corrosion behaviour was studied by open circuit potential measurement and potentiodynamic polarization method. It was stated that the properties of studied biomaterials are dependent on chemical composition of powders mixture and sintering temperature. The results showed that higher sintering temperature ensured to obtain lower values of corrosion current density and corrosion rate, and higher value of polarization resistance. The addition of 5 wt % hydroxyapatite provided to a significant improvement of corrosion resistance in Ringer's solution in comparison to AISI 316L steel, while a slight decrease in corrosion resistance was observed for AISI 316L-10 wt % hydroxyapatite biomaterials. Passivation ability and better corrosion resistance indicate that sintered at 1240°C AISI 316L-5 wt % hydrohyapatite biomaterials is more appropriate for long-term functioning implants than AISI 316L steel. This biomaterial possessed good densification and the best corrosion resistance among all studied materials, as evidenced by the lowest corrosion current density and corrosion rate combined with the highest polarization resistance.