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

Abstract 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 (TiO 2 ) 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 TiO 2 coated specimen (1.883 mpy) compared to the untreated surface (13.729 mpy). This improved corrosion resistance of TiO 2 coated substrate was attributed to the formation of various silicides, carbides, and bioactive compounds.