Surface damage mitigation of titanium and its alloys via thermal oxidation: A brief review

Abstract

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have been extensively applied in various fields of chemical industry, marine, aerospace and biomedical devices because of a specific combination of properties such as high strength to weight ratio, exceptional corrosion resistance and excellent biocompatibility. However, friction and wear, corrosion which usually occur on the surfaces of Ti-base components can lead to degradation in both properties and performance. Thermal oxidation (TO) of titanium and its alloys under certain conditions can accomplish significant improvements both in wear resistance and corrosion resistance, without special requirements for substrate geometries. In this review, the studies and applications of TO process in surface damage mitigation titanium and its alloys were reviewed and summarized.