CORROSION AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR BIO-MATERIAL SURFACE APPLICATIONS

Wide varieties of materials are used for medical purposes. Among these materials, metallic biomaterials find application where load-bearing structures are required such as in orthopaedics and dentistry. The advantages of using metallic biomaterials include the relatively easy fabrication of both simple and complex shapes by the help of well-established fabrication techniques such as casting, forging, machining. The various biomaterials that are used include Titanium, Titanium, tantalum, nickel Titanium alloys. Medical grade Ti64AlV grade Titanium is widely used in fracture repair devices and joint replacement components. Its wide usage is due to the fact that it is a more economical alternative as compared to other metallic biomaterials.

However, Ti64AlV has a high susceptibility to corrosion and to overcome this shortcoming surface modification of Titanium is done before its usage in the body. Hydroxyapatite is the major mineral constituent of the bone and hence as a biomaterial hydroxyapatite shows good biocompatibility and bone adhesion. However, hydroxyapatite suffers from poor mechanical properties and implants made entirely from Hydroxyapatite will suffer from a mechanical failure. To utilize the excellent biocompatibility of hydroxyapatite it can be used as a coating material for Titanium, by which it will complement the mechanical strength of Titanium. Such an implant made of Titanium have high strength and high biocompatibility.

Materials used:

• Medical grade stainless steel (SS316L)
• Hydroxyapatite powder

Test conducted:

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), 
• EDAX test, 
• Surface roughness test, 
• Electro chemical corrosion test, 
• FTIR analysis

Price: Rs. 25000 /-