Effect of the environment on wear ranking and corrosion of biomedical CoCrMo alloys

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 437 - 450
• Main Authors: Igual Muñoz, A., Mischler, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.03.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Albumins - chemistry; Alloys; Applied sciences; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedical materials; Body Fluids; Carbon - chemistry; Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Corrosion; Electrochemistry - methods; Electrolytes; Exact sciences and technology; Glass; Materials Science; Materials Testing; Metals. Metallurgy; Natural Materials; Phosphates - chemistry; Polymer Sciences; Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering; Salts - chemistry; Sodium Chloride - chemistry; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Vitallium - chemistry; Wear; Simulated Body Fluid; Passive Film; Phosphate Buffer Solution; Mechanical Wear; Wear Track; Environment; Corrosion; Wear; Alloys; Biomedical engineering
• ISSN: 0957-4530; 1573-4838
• DOI: 10.1007/s10856-010-4224-0

The corrosion behaviour and the wear ranking of biomedical high carbon (HC) and low carbon (LC) CoCrMo alloys sliding against an alumina ball in four different simulated body fluids [NaCl and phosphate buffered solutions (PBS) with and without albumin] has been analyzed by tribocorrosion and electrochemical techniques. The effects of alloy and of albumin on corrosion depend on the base electrolyte: differences between LC and HC alloy were only observed in NaCl solutions but not in PBS. Albumin increased significantly corrosion of both alloys in PBS solutions while its effect in NaCl was smaller. The wear ranking of the HC and LC alloys also depends on the environment. In the present study, HC CoCrMo alloy had lower wear resistance in NaCl and PBS + albumin than the LC alloy, while no differences between both alloys were found in the other solutions. This was attributed to surface chemical effects affecting third body behaviour.