Tribological performance, electrochemical behavior and biocompatibility of high-temperature gas-nitrided Ti6Al4V alloy

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the tribology, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of high-temperature gas-nitrided Ti6Al4V alloy. Design/methodology/approach The tribological properties were studied by reciprocating wear tester. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by using potentiodynamic polarization test. The purified mouse leukaemic monocyte macrophage cells are used to investigate the biocompatibility. Findings The results show that the nitriding treatment leads to a significant improvement in the hardness and tribological properties of Ti6Al4V alloy. Specifically, compared to untreated Ti6Al4V, the hardness increases from 3.24 to 9.02 GPa, while the wear rate reduces by 12.5 times in sliding against a Ti6Al4V cylinder and 19.6 times in sliding against a Si3N4 ball. Furthermore, the nitriding treatment yields an improved corrosion resistance and a biocompatibility similar to that of untreated Ti6Al4V. Originality/value The nitrided Ti6Al4V alloy is an ideal material for the fabrication of load-bearing artificial implants.