Electrochemical corrosion assessment of 316L stainless steel for dental structures in saliva solution

Biomaterials play a significant role in revolutionizing human life in terms of implants and medical devices. These materials must essentially be biocompatible and inert to human physiological conditions. Biomaterials applied to replace or restore body functions are exposed to various corrosion processes due to body fluids, which could result in the generation of corrosion products that can lead to inflammation and subsequent loss of function. Corrosion can be described as a gradual degradation of materials due to the body's electrochemical environment (e.g. blood, saline, saliva). Determining the corrosion behavior of a biomaterial to be inserted into the oral cavity is a key parameter in determining its biocompatibility. Currently, several types of metallic biomaterials are used, but the most used are stainless steels due to their availability and low cost compared to other metallic biomaterials. Applications in which stainless steels are used include fracture fixation devices, implants, sterilizable instruments, dental crowns, dental appliances, etc. The aim of this study is to investigate the corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel in Fusayama Mayer saliva (simulating normal conditions in the human body) and in Fusayama Mayer saliva with 10 g/L H
2
O
2
added, simulating the appearance of an inflammatory process. In order to monitor the corrosion process, in situ electrochemical measurements were performed such as: evolution of free potential (OCP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The results of electrochemical tests show that the corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel is strongly affected by the appearance of an inflammatory process.