Corrosion behaviour of nitrogen implanted titanium in simulated body fluid

Abstract

Titanium is one of the most important materials for medical applications, as a result of its uniquely high biocompatibility. The effect of nitrogen implantation on the biocompatibility and the corrosion resistance of cp titanium are reported. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction studies showed that implantation formed a δ-TiN_x phase. Electrochemical tests in HBSS showed an optimal decrease in corrosion current density for specimens implanted with 3 × 10¹⁷ ions cm^-2 at 25 keV, compared with unimplanted titanium. Following implantation and immersion in a commercial physiological solution, phases are precipitated which are rich in calcium and phosphorus, and these hydroxyapatite precursors indicate that this implantation regime confers optimal properties of corrosion resistance and biocompatibility.