Corrosion Resistance of Tantalum-Based Coatings on Medical Implants

Electrochemical behavior of AISI 316L stainless steel samples with tantalum-based coatings as biocompatible materials has been studied in saline solution. Comparative analysis of Ta, Ta
2
O
5
, TaN, TaON coatings has shown that the tantalum oxide exhibits excellent insulating and protective properties, but this result is not stable. Tantalum, being a ductile metal, has the fewest defects and shows the most stable results. Tantalum nitride has the highest corrosion current, while oxynitride shows intermediate results. The damages of pure tantalum and oxide films on all samples have a tendency to self-healing.)