Characterization of implant materials in fetal bovine serum and sodium sulfate by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. I. Mechanically polished samples.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is used to monitor the long-term stability (up to 150 days) of mechanically polished commercial pure titanium, Ti6Al4V, Ti6Al7Nb, and CoCrMo alloys in 0.1M sodium sulfate and fetal bovine serum. A capacitive spectrum in the frequency range from 10(-3) to 10(5) Hz is always found and the impedance spectra can be fitted by a simple parallel RC circuit with a constant phase element. The open circuit potential observed in serum is always more cathodic and the polarization resistance (R(p)) is higher than that recorded in sodium sulfate solutions. The observed variation of the equivalent capacitance in serum bovine suggests that an adsorption layer of organic molecules develops on the electrode surface and it is responsible for both the decrease in open circuit potential and the higher R(p), because it hinders the oxygen evolution reaction and the charge transfer responsible for the passive film dissolution (or growth). Among the alloys studied, Ti6Al4V displayed the highest steady-state values of R(p) both in serum and in sodium sulfate. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.