Stainless steel and Ti alloys are increasingly used as biomaterials for implants and prosthesis becauseof their lower elasticity modulus and superior biocompatibility. In the present study differentelectrochemical measurements have been used to characterize the in vitro surface integrity of twosurgical grade alloys: 316L stainless steel (SS) and Ti-6Al-4V alloy (TA). Both alloys are commonlyused for orthopaedic and ostesynthesis implants. The aim was to compare their corrosion performanceduring soaking over an extended period of time in two physiological solutions; Ringer saline (RS) andphosphate buffer saline (PBS). The open circuit potential indicated that both samples exhibitspontaneous passivation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data revealed that thecorrosion mechanism of both alloys can be modified according to the chemical composition of the testsolution. Hence, RS was found to be more corrosive than PBS, especially for SS which possesseshigher corrosion rate than TA. However, in PBS the passive traits of SS become comparable to those3- for TA due to PO4 contamination, as confirmed by SEM and EDX examinations.
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