engleski

Enhancement of Biocompatibility of 316LVM Stainless Steel by Cyclic Potentiodynamic Passivation

Passivation of stainless steel implants is a common procedure used to increase their biocompatibility. The results presented in this work demonstrate that the electrochemical cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) of a biomedical grade 316LVM stainless steel surface is a very efficient passivation method that can be used to significantly improve the material’ s general corrosion resistance and thus its biocompatibility. The influence of a range of experimental parameters on the passivation/corrosion protection efficiency is discussed. The passive film formed on a 316LVM surface by using the CPP method offers a significantly higher general corrosion resistance than the naturally grown passive film. The corresponding relative corrosion protection efficiency measured in saline during a 2- month period was 97% 6 1%, which demonstrates a very high stability of the CPP-formed passive film. Its high corrosion protection efficiency was confirmed also at temperatures and chloride concentrations well above normal physiological levels. It was also shown that the CPP is a significantly more effective passivation method than some other surface-treatment methods commonly used to passivate biomedical grade stainless steels. In addition, the CPP-passivated 316LVM surface showed an enhanced biocompatibility in terms of preosteoblast (MC3T3) cells attachment. An increased thickness of the CPP-formed passive film and its enrichment with Cr(VI) and oxygen was determined to be the origin of the material’ s increased general corrosion resistance, whereas the increased surface roughness and surface (Volta) potential were suggested to be the origin of the enhanced preosteoblast cells attachment.

biomaterials; biocompatibility; stainless steel; potentiodynamic passivation; passive films; general corrosion

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