Influence of CrN Coating on Electrochemical Behavior of Plasma Nitrided Pure Titanium in Bio-simulated Environment

Titanium and its alloys are widely used as materials for bio-medical applications, such as implants. However, ions of the alloy can release to the body region and spread into the blood circulation. In this study, plasma nitriding and CrN coating techniques are used in order to overcome the problem of ion release. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of plasma nitrided pure titanium on the structural properties and corrosion behaviors before and after CrN coating in Ringer's solution at 37 °C. The structural properties were investigated using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A diffusion layer and a compound layer composed of δ-TiN and ε-Ti2N phases were observed on the surface of nitrided pure titanium. Corrosion tests were made for the determination of electrochemical properties with the help of Potentiostat/Galvanostat device. The results show that corrosion behaviors of untreated and treated samples have similar characteristic.