Evaluation of TiO2 coatings obtained using the sol-gel technique on surgical grade type 316L stainless steel in simulated body fluid

Gel titania is the titania which was prepared by hydrolysis of a titanium isopropoxide through a sol-gel process. A film of this titania was coated on surgical grade 316L stainless steel using a sol-gel dipping technique. The densified films at 700 degrees C in vacuum were characterized by X-ray diffraction and EDXA analysis for its crystallinity and purity. The content of the films were determined by FT-IR spectroscopy. The morphology of the coating was analyzed by SEM. The corrosion behavior of 316L SS samples coated with densified titania films were studied in simulated body fluid Ringer's solution by DC potentiodynamic polarization and AC impedance spectroscopic methods. The corrosion kinetic parameters show a considerable increase in the corrosion resistance for the coated steel samples in comparison to the pristine steel substrates. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.