Effect of Micro-abrasion on Corrosion Behavior of NiTi Alloy in PBS Solution

The micro-abrasion–corrosion behavior of NiTi alloys as orthopedic implants in PBS solution was investigated, especially the effect of abrasion on corrosion. The results indicated that the martensitic NiTi alloy had better corrosion resistance than austenitic NiTi alloy with/without micro-abrasion. In contrast to the static corrosion, the corrosion behavior of the alloy was deteriorated due to the destructive effect of micro-abrasion. Through worn surface SEM analyses, as acquired after the micro-abrasion–corrosion test, the abrasion grooves were parallel to the sliding directions and plastic deformation was observed. Also, the abrasive wear mechanism led to the material degradation. It was also confirmed that the microstructure of the NiTi alloys had a significant impact on the measured corrosion and micro-abrasion–corrosion properties. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.