Impact of Simulated Inflammation and Food Breakdown on the Synergistic Interaction Between Corrosion and Wear on Titanium

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of lactic acid and phosphoric acid additives in artificial saliva (AS), simulating inflammation and food breakdown, on the electrochemical and tribo-electrochemical behavior of titanium. The results showed that, unlike lactic acid, phosphoric acid significantly reduced corrosion resistance, mainly due to local damage and heterogeneities on the passive film. Non-additivated AS caused greater wear volume loss, with mechanical wear identified as the main mechanism. However, when additives were present, a synergistic interplay between corrosion and wear was observed. The study concludes that prolonged exposure to food breakdown could accelerate material degradation in titanium. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd