Corrosion behaviour of TiN and ZrN in the environment containing fluoride ions.

Nowadays, a wide range of materials for human implants is used. To reach the required properties of implants, coatings are applied in some cases. This contribution is focused on the corrosion properties of TiN and ZrN layers on cp-titanium (commercially pure titanium) under environment modelling conditions in an oral cavity. Measurements were done in artificial saliva and a physiological solution unbuffered and buffered to a pH value of 4.2 with the addition of fluoride ions up to 4000 ppm. Standard corrosion electrochemical techniques were applied. Both types of layers were stable in both model saliva and physiological solution with non-adjusted pH. The decrease in pH to 4.2 resulted in a minor decrease of corrosion resistance in all cases, but polarization resistance was still in the order of 10(5) Ω cm². An important change in a specimens' behaviour was noticed in the presence of fluoride ions. TiN was stable in the highest concentration of fluorides used. The ZrN layers were destabilized in an environment containing a few hundred ppm of fluoride ions. As for TiN, the decisive factor is the influence of porosity; the corrosion resistance of ZrN is limited. From the corrosion point of view, the application of the TiN-based barrier layers in dental implantology is more advisable than the use of ZrN, provided that the application of a barrier is inevitable.