This small business innovation research Phase I project is concerned with the design and development of new titanium surgical implants with highly corrosion resistant and wear stabilized surfaces. A novel electrochemical method will be used for the preparation of phosphated titanium oxide. The method involves direct electrochemical deposition of novel titanium-phosphate corrosion barrier by anodic oxidation of titanium in phosphoric acid at near ambient temperatures. The proposed Phase I research effort will be utilized to design a cost effective method for production of corrosion resistant bioactive surgical implants. The benefits of electrochemical deposition of titanium phosphate corrosion/wear barrier are: (I) high corrosion resistance, (ii) excellent antiwear properties and (iii) similar or lower production cost due to minimal needs of capital investment for proposed procedures. Briefly, in Phase I, research will be carried out to investigate critical issues related to the electrochemical deposition of titanium-phosphate protective coatings, on titanium surgical alloys, and to characterize the corrosion and wear performance.
The commercial need for corrosion and wear resistant bioactive surgical implants is remarkably large. In the U.S., alone 400,000 artificial implants were employed in 1993. This increased use of prostheses is the result of continually increasing life span. The technology developed in this research project will be of considerable benefit to the medical field. The relatively low capital cost and environmentally friendly nature of the proposed method makes it suitable for use even in small medical or dental clinics.
