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. 2021 Dec 24;15(1):131.
doi: 10.3390/ma15010131.

A Tribological and Ion Released Research of Ti-Materials for Medical Devices

Daniela Silva  1 , Camila Arcos  1 , Cecilia Montero  2 , Carolina Guerra  1 , Carola Martínez  3 , Xuejie Li  4 , Armelle Ringuedé  4 , Michel Cassir  4 , Kevin Ogle  4 , Danny Guzmán  5 , Claudio Aguilar  6 , Maritza Páez  7 , Mamié Sancy  8   9
Affiliations

A Tribological and Ion Released Research of Ti-Materials for Medical Devices

Daniela Silva et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

The increase in longevity worldwide has intensified the use of different types of prostheses for the human body, such as those used in dental work as well as in hip and knee replacements. Currently, Ti-6Al-4V is widely used as a joint implant due to its good mechanical properties and durability. However, studies have revealed that this alloy can release metal ions or particles harmful to human health. The mechanisms are not well understood yet and may involve wear and/or corrosion. Therefore, in this work, commercial pure titanium and a Ti-6Al-4V alloy were investigated before and after being exposed to a simulated biological fluid through tribological tests, surface analysis, and ionic dissolution characterization by ICP-AES. Before exposure, X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy revealed equiaxed α-Ti in both materials and β-Ti in Ti-6Al-4V. Scratch tests exhibited a lower coefficient of friction for Ti-6Al-4V alloy than commercially pure titanium. After exposure, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy results showed an oxide film formed by TiO2, both in commercially pure titanium and in Ti-6Al-4V, and by TiO and Al2O3 associated with the presence of the alloys. Furthermore, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy revealed that aluminum was the main ion released for Ti-6Al-4V, giving negligible values for the other metal ions.

Keywords: Ti-6Al-4V; ion release; scratch test; surface characterization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V before exposure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Optical images of (a) CP-Ti and (b) Ti-6Al-4V prior to exposure.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Coefficient of friction (COF) variation of the CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V surfaces under load of (a) 1 N and (b) 5 N.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cross-section profiles of scratches on the surface of (a) CP-Ti and (b) Ti-6Al-4V.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Optical micrographs of the wear track of CP-Ti (a,c) and Ti-6Al-4V (b,d) under 1 N (a,b) and 5 N (c,d).
Figure 6
Figure 6
X-ray photoelectrom spectrometry (XPS) survey and C1 s, Ti 2p and O 1 s spectra of Ti-6Al-4V after 1-day exposure in simulated body fluid.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Raman spectra of pure Ti (a,b) and Ti-6Al-4V (c,d) before (a,c) and after (b,d) 14 days of exposure to Hank’s solution.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of (a,b) CP-Ti (c,d) Ti-6Al-4V (a,c) prior to and (b,d) after 14 days of exposure to Hank’s solution.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry (AESEC) results of (a) Ti and (b) Ti-6Al-4V after 14 days of exposure to Hank’s solution.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry (AESEC) results of (a) Ti and (b) Ti-6Al-4V after 14 days of exposure to Hank’s solution.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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