Effect of plasma nitriding and titanium nitride coating on the corrosion resistance of titanium

Abstract

Statement of problem: The passive film on the surface of titanium can be destroyed by immersion in a fluoridated acidic medium. Coating with titanium nitride (TiN) may improve the corrosion resistance of titanium.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the effect of duplex treatment with plasma nitriding and TiN coating on the corrosion resistance of cast titanium.

Material and methods: Cast titanium was treated with plasma nitriding and TiN coating. The corrosion resistance of the duplex-treated titanium in fluoride-containing artificial saliva was then investigated through electrochemical and immersion tests. The corroded surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy surface scan analysis. The data were analyzed using ANOVA (α=.05) RESULTS: Duplex treatment generated a dense and uniform TiN film with a thickness of 4.5 μm. Compared with untreated titanium, the duplex-treated titanium displayed higher corrosion potential (Ecorr) values (P<.001) and lower corrosion current density (Icorr) values (P<.001). SEM results showed that the surface of untreated titanium was more heavily corroded than that of duplex-treated titanium. Surface scan analysis of duplex-treated titanium that had been immersed in artificial saliva containing 2 g/L fluoride revealed fluorine on the titanium surface, whereas fluorine was not observed on the surface of untreated titanium after immersion in fluoride-containing artificial saliva. The concentration of titanium ions released from the treated titanium was less than the amount released from untreated titanium (P<.001).

Conclusions: Duplex treatment by plasma nitriding and TiN coating significantly improved the corrosion resistance of cast titanium in a fluoride-containing environment.