Improvement in wear performance of surgical Ti-6Al-4V alloy by ion implantation of nitrogen or carbon
The effects of ion implantations of either nitrogen or carbon on the corrosive-wear performance of surgical Ti-6A1-4V alloy were investigated. In vitro tests made use of an apparatus which could produce certain chemical and mechanical aspects of a sliding interface such as that which occurs between alloy and polyethylene components of an artificial hip (or knee) joint. Cylindrical samples of the Ti alloy were rotated between loaded, conforming pads made of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) while these test components were immersed either in a saline solution or a saline solution with bovine serum added. During the tests open-circuit corrosion currents for the alloy were measured by the Tafel extrapolation technique. Profilometry studies were done before and after the tests. Alloy samples implanted with either nitrogen or carbon remained as-new for all test conditions. Unimplanted control samples were severely scored. Corrosion currents as measured under the mechanical action were reduced by a factor of approximately one hundred by the ion implantation treatments. It is concluded that nitrogen or carbon ion implantation produces a marked improvement in the corrosive wear performance of the alloy in these tests. It is inferred that abrasive wear is the dominant mechanism of material removal. In addition, apparently owing to reduction of wear debris in the sliding interface, ion treatment of the alloy greatly improves wear performance of the mating UHMWPE component. 11 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Alabama Univ., Birmingham (USA). Dept. of Materials Engineering
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5693420
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8506139-1; ON: DE85013986
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Society for Metals conference on the applications of ion plating and implantation to materials, Atlanta, GA, USA, 3 Jun 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ARTIFICIAL ORGANS
TESTING
CARBON
ION IMPLANTATION
NITROGEN
SURGICAL MATERIALS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
BONE JOINTS
CORROSION PROTECTION
PERFORMANCE
TITANIUM ALLOYS
WEAR
ALLOYS
BODY
ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
NONMETALS
ORGANS
SKELETON
360105* - Metals & Alloys- Corrosion & Erosion
550600 - Medicine