Improving surface characteristics and corrosion resistance of medical grade 316L by titanium powder mixed electro-discharge treatment

Abstract

The article focuses on the corrosion behavior of medical grade 316L stainless steel used in cardiac stents, orthopaedic, and dental implants. In this research work, electro-discharge treatment (EDT) was used for the deposition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles on 316L stainless steel to improve its corrosion-resistant property. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques to correlate the modified surface with the EDT process parameters. The electrochemical corrosion analysis shows a lower corrosion rate for the TiO2 coated specimen (1.883 mpy) compared to the untreated surface (13.729 mpy). This improved corrosion resistance of TiO2 coated substrate was attributed to the formation of various silicides, carbides, and bioactive compounds.

Surface modification during hydroxyapatite powder mixed electric discharge machining of metallic biomaterials: a review

“…It was obtained that at optimized process parameter (current – 13 A, duty cycle – 8%, pulse-on time – 5 μs, and Si powder concentration 8 g L −1 ) the surface finish and micro-hardness were improved significantly, which is favourable for the durability of the implant. Singh et al [197] performed surface modification 316L SS by mixing TiO 2 nanoparticles in EDM. It was noticed that TiO 2 particles were deposited in the recast layer, which improved the corrosion resistance and bioactivity of the implant.…”