Porous Titanium Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications: Corrosion Resistance and Structure Investigation

Abstract

Due to its suitable physical properties and good biocompatibility, the titanium (Ti) can be used for development of porous structures for biomedical applications. The state of art in the field of corrosion resistance showed problems with corrosion analysis of porous metals. Therefore, it is essential to understand the influence of porosity of metals on corrosion parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate the corrosion resistance of highly porous titanium scaffolds for biomedical application. The Ti scaffolds were fabricated by powder metallurgy technique. The total porosity of the scaffolds ranged from 45 to 75%. The cast Ti sample was also tested for comparison. The electrochemical behavior of the Ti samples was monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic method at the room temperature. All electrochemical experiments were performed by a three-electrode technique in a cell containing a 0.9% NaCl electrolyte solution. With use of AAF, the active area of porous Ti was estimated. The porous Ti with porosity of 75% shows a better resistance to corrosion than the other porous Ti scaffolds. However, the corrosion resistance of Ti scaffolds was lower than cast Ti.