Wear, Corrosion, Wettability, and Microhardness Studies of Developed 316LTix Stainless Steel for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

This study introduces a novel material, 316LTi, by incorporating 1.0 at. % titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) into stainless steel grade 316L via vacuum arc melting (VAM). This material holds better potential for orthopaedic applications, offering a combination of the strengths of both titanium alloys and 316L stainless steel. The developed 316LTi alloy was evaluated for wear resistance and electrochemical corrosion behaviour using open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP). The alloy exhibited a wear rate of 0.8 × 10⁻3 mm3/Nm at 5 N and 3.74 × 10⁻3 mm3/Nm at 50 N, with a corrosion resistance of 0.33 × 10⁻2 mm/y. Surface analysis revealed improved microhardness (492.27 MPa) and reduced modulus of elasticity (168.24 GPa) compared to bare 316L. Characterization through optical microscopy, SEM, EDS, XRD, and 2D/3D profilometry enhanced material performance. In vitro, results revealed that the developed 316LTi alloy leverages titanium alloys’ mechanical robustness, and it combined resulted in higher corrosion resistance, better wettability, and enhanced tribological properties, affordability of 316L stainless steel, and offering an optimal balance for biomedical (i.e. Orthopaedic) applications. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.