Effect of PMMA sealing treatment on the corrosion behavior of plasma electrolytic oxidized titanium dental implants in fluoride-containing saliva solution

Abstract

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are widely used as dental implant materials because of their high mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and corrosion resistance. This research was undertaken to study the effect of polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) sealing layer on the corrosion performance of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO)-coated titanium-based dental implants in pure saliva and fluoride-containing saliva solutions. The phase structure, chemical composition, and microstructure of coatings were investigated via x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The corrosion behavior of the samples was evaluated by open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. The deposition of the PMMA layer on the PEO-coated Ti dental implants was found to effectively seal the micropores and microcracks of the TiO _2 coatings and block corrosive ions’ penetration routes through the coating. Thereby, the results indicated that better corrosion performance was observed when the PMMA layer is applied on PEO-coated Ti dental implants than on the simple PEO coatings.

Keywords

• titanium implants
• plasma electrolytic oxidation
• PMMA sealing
• corrosion performance
• saliva solution