Improving corrosion resistance of pure titanium by simple and controlled oxidation for biomedical applications

Abstract

In this study, the TiO2 passive layer was formed on a pure titanium substrate by simple oxidation in an aqueous solution of H2O2 35 wt.%. In order to determine the appropriate time for the oxidation of the pure titanium substrate, the corrosion rate of the metal in the solution of H2O2 was investigated. The electrochemical behaviour of the TiO2 passive layer on the Ti substrate was investigated in Hank's solution at 37.5°C. The results show that Tafel‐plot extrapolations from the potentiodynamic curves revealed a substantial improvement in the corrosion potentials for the TiO2 coatings. According to the theory calculation, to obtain the optimal surface roughness values, around 100 nm to 300 nm, the oxidation time in H2O2 35 wt.% solution is controlled in the range of 2‐5 hours. The results were explained by considering the effects of crystal morphology and roughness. The results indicated that the controlled oxidation‐prepared TiO2 coatings have attractive prospects for use in biomedical applications since better corrosion protection of pure Ti can be expected.