Enhancing the In Vitro Tribocorrosion Resistance of Titanium Alloy by Precipitation of Nano-Ti₂Cu Phases

Compared with traditional Ti-based biomaterials, in recent years Cu-bearing titanium alloys have been considered among the most attractive metallic biomaterials for oral implants, owing to their excellent antibacterial properties. In this paper, the effects of the Cu content, the existing form of Cu element, and the oral environment on the tribocorrosion resistance of Ti-Cu alloys were investigated in comparison with pure titanium (cp-Ti). The results revealed that a low pH and (especially) a high fluoride ion concentration accelerated the tribocorrosion. The Ti-Cu alloys showed a higher tribocorrosion resistance than cp-Ti in all the simulated solutions tested, owing to the precipitation of nano-Ti₂Cu during the aging treatment.