Improving surface characteristics and corrosion resistance of medical grade 316L by titanium powder mixed electro-discharge treatment

The article focuses on the corrosion behavior of medical grade 316L stainless steel used in cardiac stents, orthopaedic, and dental implants. In this research work, electro-discharge treatment (EDT) was used for the deposition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles on 316L stainless steel to improve its corrosion-resistant property. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques to correlate the modified surface with the EDT process parameters. The electrochemical corrosion analysis shows a lower corrosion rate for the TiO2 coated specimen (1.883 mpy) compared to the untreated surface (13.729 mpy). This improved corrosion resistance of TiO2 coated substrate was attributed to the formation of various silicides, carbides, and bioactive compounds.