Electrochemical Performance of Ti–10Mo Alloy Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion for Biomedical Applications

This study investigates the electrochemical performance of a Ti–10Mo alloy fabricated via Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) for potential biomedical implant applications. The alloy was engineered to improve corrosion resistance, while the LPBF technique enabled the production of dense, fine-grained structures suited for implantation in corrosive physiological environments. Microstructural characterization revealed the presence of partially unmelted molybdenum particles retained within the matrix, which was consistent with tomography analysis. The incomplete melting is attributed to the significantly higher melting point of molybdenum (2623 °C) compared to titanium (1668 °C), along with differences in laser absorptivity and thermal conductivity, particularly under insufficient energy input during LPBF processing. To evaluate corrosion behavior under simulated physiological conditions, potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed in 0.9% NaCl solution after 48 hours of immersion. The LPBF-processed Ti–10Mo alloy exhibited a corrosion potential (E_corr) of –0.17 V, a corrosion current density (I_corr) of 34.48 nA/cm², and a polarization resistance (Rp) of 345.94 kΩ·cm². In contrast, commercially pure titanium displayed E_corr = –0.44 V, I_corr = 494.73 nA/cm², and Rp = 61.52 kΩ·cm². These results indicate that the LPBF-fabricated Ti–10Mo alloy demonstrates a significantly more noble electrochemical potential, a lower corrosion rate, and a substantially higher resistance to charge transfer, highlighting its suitability for long-term biomedical implant applications.