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Electrochemical characterization of AISI 316L stainless steel in contact with simulated body fluid under infection conditions

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Abstract

Titanium and cobalt alloys, as well as some stainless steels, are among the most frequently used materials in orthopaedic surgery. In industrialized countries, stainless steel devices are used only for temporary implants due to their lower corrosion resistance in physiologic media when compared to other alloys. However, due to economical reasons, the use of stainless steel alloys for permanent implants is very common in developing countries. The implantation of foreign bodies is sometimes necessary in the modern medical practice. However, the complex interactions between the host and the can implant weaken the local immune system, increasing the risk of infections. Therefore, it is necessary to further study these materials as well as the characteristics of the superficial film formed in physiologic media in infection conditions in order to control their potential toxicity due to the release of metallic ions in the human body. This work presents a study of the superficial composition and the corrosion resistance of AISI 316L stainless steel and the influence of its main alloying elements when they are exposed to an acidic solution that simulates the change of pH that occurs when an infection develops. Aerated simulated body fluid (SBF) was employed as working solution at 37 °C. The pH was adjusted to 7.25 and 4 in order to reproduce normal body and disease state respectively. Corrosion resistance was measured by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and anodic polarization curves.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been carried out thanks to the cooperation program between the Argentine Research Council for Science (CONICET) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the support of the University of Mar del Plata-National Agency of Scientific Promotion of Argentina (PICTO 11338). The authors are grateful to Fidex S.A. for providing materials for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales (INTEMA), UNMdP-CONICET, Juan B. Justo 4302, B7608FDQ, Mar del Plata, Argentina

    Danián Alejandro López & Silvia Marcela Ceré

  2. Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio, CSIC, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Alicia Durán

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  1. Danián Alejandro López
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  2. Alicia Durán
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  3. Silvia Marcela Ceré
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Correspondence to Danián Alejandro López.

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López, D.A., Durán, A. & Ceré, S.M. Electrochemical characterization of AISI 316L stainless steel in contact with simulated body fluid under infection conditions. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 19, 2137–2144 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-007-3138-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-007-3138-y

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