Effect of stress on the passivation of Si-DLC coating as stent materials in simulated body environment

DLC coating can be used for vascular stents to prevent the stainless steel substrate from eluting Ni and Cr by plastic deformation and corrosion environment. The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of Si-diamond-like carbon (Si-DLC) coated on 316L stainless steel was studied in a simulated body environment of a deaerated 0.89 wt.% NaCl electrolyte at 37 °C. This paper investigated the effect of Si-DLC coating on the SCC of 316L SS by slow-strain-rate test (SSRT), constant load test (CLT), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS data were monitored for the elastic and plastic regions under CLT to determine the electrochemical behavior of the passive film during SCC phenomena. The Si-DLC coated steel exhibited more ductility than uncoated steel and less susceptibility to SCC in this environment. According to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, the film repassivation occurs due to the presence of the silicon oxide layer on the Si-DLC film surface.