Corrosion behavior and surface characterization of tantalum implanted TiNi alloy

TiNi shape memory alloy has been modified by Ta plasma immersion ion implantation technology to improve corrosion resistance. The results of the polarization tests show that the corrosion resistance of TiNi alloy in Ringer's solution at 310 K has been improved by the Ta ion implantation and the Ta/TiNi sample with a moderate incident dose of 1.5 x 10(17) ions/cm(2) exhibits the best corrosion resistance ability. The surface characterization and chemical composition of the Ta/TiNi samples were determined by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods. AFM images reveal that compact aggregates of nano-grains uniformly disperse on the surface of the Ta/TiNi samples. AES and XPS analyses on the Ta/TiNi sample show that the component of the surface layer is mainly composed of TiO2 and Ta2O5, which is benefit to the corrosion resistance ability and biocompatibility. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.