Electrochemical Behavior of Hot Treated Ti-12Mo-8Nb Alloy

Several beta titanium alloys are finding ever-increasing applications in biomaterials, due to the combination of its mechanical properties including low elasticity modulus, high strength, fatigue resistance and good ductility with improved corrosion resistance. In this regard, a new beta titanium Ti-12Mo-8Nb alloy was developed as an alternative to the traditional alloy Ti-6Al-4V. Studies have shown that the release of vanadium (V) and aluminum (Al) ions in the human body may cause cytotoxic effects and neurological disorders, respectively. Additionally, this new alloy presented higher ratio of hardness to elastic modulus, as compared to the commercial Ti-6Al-4V alloy. This paper presents the electrochemical behavior and mechanical properties of the Ti-12Mo-8Nb heat treated at 950 oC for 1h under high vacuum and then water quenched. The electrochemical behavior was carried through potentiodynamic polarization curves using Ringer's solution to simulate the body fluid. The Ti-12Mo-8Nb alloy presented a microstructure consisting of β phase with good mechanical properties and a passive layer was formed.