CORROSION BEHAVIOR OF Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr AND COMMERCIALLY PURE TI UNDER SIMULATED INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS – COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF GRAIN REFINEMENT AND NON-TOXIC ΒETA PHASE STABILIZERS

Abstract Modern Ti-based materials such as nanocrystalline α Ti and metastable β alloy Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr (TNTZ) offers unique mechanical properties which are essential in case of dental implants. However, successful permanent implantation is governed also by material's functional properties such as corrosion behaviour in body fluids. Although both of this materials demonstrated high corrosion resistance in standard physiological solutions, the effect of simulated inflammatory conditions, which are more realistic following the implantation, is still unknown. Hence, in this work the influence of simulated inflammation on the corrosion response of nanocrystalline α Ti and metastable β TNTZ alloy was investigated and compared with the widely used microcrystalline α Ti. This study provides an insight how the presence of non-toxic β phase stabilizers and grain refinement to the nanoscale affect Ti corrosion behaviour in the simulated inflammatory conditions.