Effect of bio-functional MAO layers on the electrochemical behaviour of highly porous Ti

Ti foams are attractive for orthopaedic applications due to reduced Young's modulus and ability of bone ingrowth. However, poor corrosion behaviour and lack of bioactivity are yet to be overcome. In the present work, highly porous Ti samples were processed by powder metallurgy with space holder technique and bio-functionalized by micro-arc oxidation, resulting in nano/micro structured TiO2 surfaces containing bioactive elements. The electrochemical behaviour of these bio-functionalized highly porous Ti surfaces was evaluated through potentiodynamic polarization and EIS in physiological solution at body temperature. Results showed that bio-functionalization improved the corrosion behaviour of highly porous Ti. However, increased macro-porosity led to an increased corrosion rate.This work is supported by FCT with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2019, M-ERA NET/0001/2015 project, and Programa de Accoes Universitarias Integradas Luso-Francesas' (PAUILF TC-12_14). CQE is financed by FCT under Pluriannual contract 2020-2023. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the "Investissements d'avenir" programs (nos. ANR-11-IDEX-0003-02 and ANR-10-EQPX-37 MATMECA Grant) for financial support on Micro-CT analysis