Properties and Biological Significance of Natural Oxide Films on Titanium and Its Alloys

This chapter covers information on the composition, microstructure and physico-chemical properties of thin oxide films on titanium and titanium alloys. The focus is on thin layers in the sense of ‘natural’ oxide films grown at ambient or higher temperatures with emphasis on titanium oxide, with some selected additional information on oxides related to metals commonly used as alloying elements in titanium alloys for biomedical applications. This chapter does not, however, include thicker oxide films such as those produced by electrochemical or plasma techniques, which are covered in Chap. 8.