Enhancement of Corrosion Performance of Titanium by Micro-Nano Texturing

The present study reveals the influence of different anodizing electrolytes on the superhydrophobic surface modification of titanium and the resultant corrosion and biofouling resistance. Inspired by the Lotus effect, anodization and low surface energy material coating were used to produce superhydrophobic titanium in the present work. The water contact angle measured on surface-modified titanium was found to be 150, indicating their superhydrophobic nature. Surface roughness, morphology, phase, and composition of the oxide film were correlated with the superhydrophobic nature of the coated surfaces. Electrochemical studies showed that the superhydrophobic titanium in a nitric acid medium had appreciable increase in the corrosion resistance compared to the as-polished titanium. The antibacterial activity studies showed a one to two order decrease in bacterial attachment on superhydrophobic titanium samples compared to polished titanium samples.