TiN coated stainless steel bracket: Tribological, corrosion resistance, biocompatibility and mechanical performance.

Multi-arc ion plating was used to deposit TiN films to modify the 316 L stainless steel brackets for orthodontic applications. XRD, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical analysis, cell proliferation and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) were applied to compare the surface characteristics of TiN coated and uncoated stainless steel brackets. It was found that TiN coating is smooth, hard, well-adherent, biocompatible with super low friction coefficient (< 0.03) and pretty good corrosion resistance (pitting potential higher than 600 mV) in artificial saliva. High hardness (about 14.62 GPa) is favored for the low friction coefficient, and great corrosion resistance ascribe to inert nature of TiN reduces the release of toxic elements, which improved the biocompatibility of TiN film. Better comprehension performances make TiN coated stainless steel very suitable for orthodontic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]