The mechanical, electrochemical, and morphological characteristics of passivating oxide films covering cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloys: A study of five microstructures

Cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (Co-Cr-Mo) alloys possess a combination of properties that make them well suited for employment as biomaterials, such as high-strength and excellent wear and corrosion resistance. They receive this excellent corrosion resistance from passive oxide films which cover their surface. Because of the important role these oxide films play in protecting Co-Cr Mo alloys used in biological applications, there is a need to better understand them. This thesis investigated the structural and physical properties of the passivating oxide films covering Co-Cr Mo alloys with five different microstructures. The Co-Cr-Mo alloys were separated into the following groups: cast, wrought high carbon, wrought high carbon aged, forged high carbon, and forged low carbon.; Electrochemical scratch tests were performed which provided information on the electrochemical kinetics of oxide fracture and repassivation for the different Co-Cr-Mo alloys. Furthermore, the stability and mechanical integrity of the oxide films covering the alloys were also evaluated.; Step-polarization impedance spectroscopy tests were also performed on the different Co-Cr-Mo alloys, which provided valuable information about their electrochemical behavior when immersed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution. For instance, it was observed that the corrosion properties of the different alloy types did not vary significantly with respect to the behavior of their individual polarization curves. Likewise, impedance values (maximum early resistance, maximum polarization resistance, and minimum capacitance) for the five alloy groups did not reveal any statistically meaningful differences. The similar passive electrochemical behavior of the five alloy groups suggests that the oxide films covering them were not significantly altered by changes in carbon content and processing.; This research also showed that it was possible to monitor changes in the surface morphology of the cast Co-Cr-Mo alloys over a wide range of potentials using in-situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy. In addition, the collection of SPIS information in conjunction with the AFM images revealed several distinct relationships between surface morphology and electrochemical behavior for the alloys. Thus, it was demonstrated that the combination of electrochemical atomic force microscopy with simultaneous SPIS allowed careful, direct correlation of surface structure and electrochemical properties.