Effect of Cu on the Tribocorrosion Behavior of Antibacterial CoCrMo Alloys in Simulated Biological Environment

Abstract

CoCrMo alloy containing copper element can significantly improve the antibacterial property of the alloy. However, most metal implants often fail due to the presence of corrosion and wear. In this work, the electrochemical and tribocorrosion properties of CoCrMo, CoCrMo–2Cu, and CoCrMo–4Cu alloys at a potential of −0.45 V and 0 V condition in Hank’s/Saliva/α-minimum essential medium (MEM) containing 10% FBS solutions were studied to reveal the effect of Cu addition on the tribocorrosion properties of Co-based alloys. The results showed that the addition of copper element reduced the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of Co-based alloy. As for solutions, α-MEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum shows lubrication function. Based on the calculated results, it was pointed out that the tribocorrosion behavior of CoCrMo and CoCrMo–Cu alloy was mainly controlled by the mechanical wear.