The tribocorrosion behaviour of NiTi alloy

In biomedical applications, NiTi alloys are used mainly because of their favourable shape memory and superelastic properties. However, in many applications the tribocorrosion properties of these alloys can be of critical concern. For this reason the electrochemical and tribocorrosion properties of superelastic NiTi sheet and orthodontic archwire were studied, taking into account their microstructures and the effect of different surface finishes. In the case of the electrochemical tests, samples were tested in artificial saliva, whereas in the tribocorrosion tests the experiments were performed in ambient air, distilled water, and artificial saliva, the latter as a corrosive medium. In these tests, the total wear rate of the alloy samples was determined, together with the corresponding chemical and tribological contributions. It was confirmed that the microstructure of the investigated alloys had a significant effect on the measured electrochemical and tribocorrosion properties.