Electrochemical corrosion properties of Ti-6Al-4V implant alloy in the biological environment

The electrochemical corrosion behavior of Ti-6A1-4V implant alloy was investigated in three biological solutions, i.e. urine, serum and joint fluid. The corrosion properties of Ti-6A1-4V implant alloys were examined by using electrochemical techniques, such as the potentiodynamic method, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical corrosion characteristics of Ti-6A1-4V implant alloys in three biological solutions were measured in terms of the corrosion potential (E-corr), the corrosion current density (i(corr)), and ac polarization resistance (R-p). The corrosion kinetic parameters were calculated from both the Tafel plot analyses and EIS analyses. The dependence of impedance versus potentials was studied at 37 degreesC at various offset potentials in three biological solutions. The ac circuit model for Ti-6A1-4V implant alloy at corrosion interface in biological solution was proposed, which was based on a simple Randles equivalent circuit. It was found that the Ti-6A1-4V implant alloy in three biological solutions showed a characteristic of a capacitive behavior. The experimental results of Tafel plot analyses were found in good agreement with that of EIS analyses. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.