Abstract
Ti6Al4V alloy is widely used in the biomedical implants industry due to the excellent combination of biocompatibility, mechanical strength & corrosion properties. However, long-time use of Ti6Al4V implants may result in degradation at surge due to corrosive conditions of the human body. In this study, a three-electrode electrochemical cell was used to investigate the corrosion behavior of Ti6Al4V alloy parts manufactured using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) and conventional cast technique. The corrosion behaviour of Ti6Al4V alloy was used to investigate in three different biofluids (corrosion media) physiological saline solution (PSS), simulated body fluids (SBF), and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)using the potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test. The relevant results showed the DMLS-produced Ti6Al4V alloy has ~ 22% higher corrosion resistance than the conventionally cast Ti6Al4V alloy in all three biofluids. Additionally, the DMLS-produced Ti6Al4V alloy in SBF has the lowest corrosion rate of 3.44 x10− 4 mm per year and exhibits the highest polarization resistance (Rp) of 3364 Ω.cm2 due to the formation of a stable passive film. The corrosion resistance of the DMLS and cast produced Ti6Al4V alloy in all three biofluids followed the order of PSS < PBS < SBF.