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Corrosion properties of β-Ta alloyed Ti6Al4V by double-glow plasma surface alloying technique

  • Metals & corrosion
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Abstract

To improve the corrosion resistance of biomedical titanium alloys, Ta-modified layer was prepared on Ti6Al4V substrate by double-glow plasma surface alloying technique (DGPSAT) at 750 °C. The effects of alloying time of Ta coating on the microstructure, film cohesion strength, as well as the electrochemical corrosion property had been investigated. Results showed that there were mainly β-Ta phase formed at 750 °C, the crystal grew bigger without phase transition and the layer thickness increases with the prolongation of alloying time. However, the cohesion strength and corrosion resistance of the film increase first and then decrease with the prolonging alloying time. In particular, the sample with alloying time of 30 min maintains the best cohesion strength and corrosion resistance. These are attributed to the following factors: a denser and more homogeneous coating with high cohesion strength formed on the substrate, higher positive Ecorr and lower Icorr in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. Both of these accelerate the formation of tantalum oxides protective layers on metal surface and thus maintain the excellent properties.

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Figure 1
Figure 2

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time

Figure 3

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time: a 10 min, b 30 min, c 60 min, and d 120 min

Figure 4
Figure 5

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time in different magnification: a, e 10 min, b, f 30 min, c, g 60 min, and d, h 120 min. The I, II, and III regions marked in the FESEM images are the deposition layer, the diffusion layer, and the Ti6Al4V substrates, respectively

Figure 6
Figure 7

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time

Figure 8

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time, a Nyquist plots and b Bode plots

Figure 9

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time: a Ti6Al4V, b 10 min, c 30 min, d 60 min, and e 120 min

Figure 10

modified by β-Ta coatings with alloying time of 30 min. a FESEM images, b Ta element, c O element, d Ti element, e Al element, f V element, and g element concentration

Figure 11

modified by β-Ta coatings with different alloying time

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51801133, 51901154), the Science and Technology Major Project of Shanxi (Grant No. 20181102013), “1331 Project” Engineering Research Center of Shanxi (PT201801) and the Young Scholar Foundation of Shanxi Province (No. 201801D221135, 201901D211092) for financial support.

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  1. Ying Liu, Bing Zhou have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China

    Ying Liu

  2. Institute of New Carbon Materials, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China

    Bing Zhou, Hongkong Wang, Jie Gao, Yong Ma, Hongjun Hei, Yanxia Wu & Shengwang Yu

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Liu, Y., Zhou, B., Wang, H. et al. Corrosion properties of β-Ta alloyed Ti6Al4V by double-glow plasma surface alloying technique. J Mater Sci 56, 6487–6498 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-05626-y

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