Amorphous/quasi-amorphous CoCrMo-C coatings for improved electrochemical properties and tribocorrosion resistance of biomedical alloys

Coatings based on CoCrMo cobalt alloy have been designed to increase corrosion resistance of AISI 316L austenitic steel in body fluids. The CoCrMo-C coatings, with different carbon content (from 0 to 65 at.%), were synthesised by reactive magnetron sputtering of the medical CoCrMo (ISO 5832-12) alloy in the argon-acetylene atmosphere. Evolution of their structure, crystalline phase and chemical composition with increasing carbon fraction were investigated by X-ray diffractometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Evaluation of corrosion resistance of CoCrMo-C films on 316L steel substrates was performed in Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation tests. The studies have revealed high chemical inertness of all coatings. Passive/blocking layers formed on their surfaces exhibit a capacitive character, while their resistivity is nearly two orders of magnitude higher compared to the corresponding values obtained for the CoCrMo and 316L alloys tested under similar conditions. The CoCrMo-C coatings provide pitting corrosion protection for 316L austenitic steel. This is expected to extend the residence time of stainless steel in the tissue environment. The 316L/CoCrMo-C systems were also subjected to tribocorrosion tests in HBSS at three electrochemical potentials, i.e. at open circuit, cathodic, and anodic potential. A model was developed to relate the electrical values recorded during tribocorrosion experiments with the phenomena that characterize the coating wear process. It was found that the friction coefficient systematically decreased from 0.7 to 0.1 with increasing the carbon content under all potentials applied. The wear rate observed for majority of the coatings was lower than that for CoCrMo and 316L alloys. For the samples with the highest carbon content, the wear rate under oxidative conditions became even lower than for the cathodic potential. •CoCrMoC films were deposited on 316L steel by magnetron sputtering of Co alloy.•The coatings were subjected to corrosion and tribocorrosion tests in HBSS.•A model of electrical circuit at the tribological contact is presented.•The best corrosion protection is provided by the amorphous coatings (>13 at.% C).•Friction coefficient and wear rate decrease with increasing carbon content.