Improving corrosion resistance of pure titanium by simple and controlled oxidation for biomedical applications

Abstract In this study, the TiO 2 passive layer was formed on a pure titanium substrate by simple oxidation in an aqueous solution of H 2 O 2 35 wt.%. In order to determine the appropriate time for the oxidation of the pure titanium substrate, the corrosion rate of the metal in the solution of H 2 O 2 was investigated. The electrochemical behaviour of the TiO 2 passive layer on the Ti substrate was investigated in Hank's solution at 37.5°C. The results show that Tafel‐plot extrapolations from the potentiodynamic curves revealed a substantial improvement in the corrosion potentials for the TiO 2 coatings. According to the theory calculation, to obtain the optimal surface roughness values, around 100 nm to 300 nm, the oxidation time in H 2 O 2 35 wt.% solution is controlled in the range of 2‐5 hours. The results were explained by considering the effects of crystal morphology and roughness. The results indicated that the controlled oxidation‐prepared TiO 2 coatings have attractive prospects for use in biomedical applications since better corrosion protection of pure Ti can be expected.