Electrochemical Study of Three Stainless Steel Alloys and Titanium Metal in Cola Soft Drinks

Stainless steels and titanium alloys are widely used in the medical industry as replacement materials. These materials may be affected by the conditions and type of environment. In the same manner, soft drinks are widely consumed products. It is of interest for dental industry to know the behavior of medical-grade alloys when these are in contact with soft drinks, since any excessive ion release can suppose a risk for human health. In the present study, the electrochemical behavior of three stainless steel alloys and pure titanium was analyzed using three types of cola soft drinks as electrolyte. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of these metallic materials in each type of solution (cola standard, light and zero). Different electrochemical techniques were used for the evaluation of the alloys, namely potentiodynamic polarization, linear polarization, and open-circuit potential measurements. The corrosion resistance of the stainless-steel alloys and titanium in the cola soft drinks was provided by the formation of a stable passive film formed by metal oxides. Scanning electron microscopy was used as a complementary technique to reveal corrosion phenomena at the surface of the materials evaluated.