Surface Modification of Alloys
A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 432
Special Issue Editor
Interests: advanced functional materials; biomaterials; titanium alloys; semiconductor materials; surface modification; microstructure; mechanical properties; biocompatibility; material science and engineering; nanotechnology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over the last two decades, advanced methods of surface modification have attracted tremendous research interest, altering the surface characteristics of alloys to improve their performance, such as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, hardness, protection from degradation exposed to chemical or mechanical damage, antimicrobial properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. This is important, especially in applications like aerospace, automotive, or medical devices, where surface durability is critical.
Significant knowledge has already been reported on the relationship between the surface and characteristics of alloys in the development of novel surface modifications and advanced alloys. Nonetheless, there is still considerable room for further deepening our knowledge in this area.
We gladly invite submissions for papers on topics suitable for the Special Issue “Surface Modification of Alloys”. This Special Issue will cover full papers, short communications and review articles on novel methods for surface modification, alloy characterization, and applications of advanced alloys. It aims to cover a wide range of topics, from basic research to industrial and medical applications, including investigating the influence of novel methods for surface modification on alloy characteristics, analyzing the behavior of surface alloys in different environments, and the consideration of future trends for the surface modification of alloys.
Dr. Veljko Djokić
Guest Editor
Planned Paper
Title: Synergistic Effects of High-Pressure Torsion and Anodic Oxidation on Surface Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Ti-13Nb-13Zr Alloy
Authors: Dragana R. Mihajlović 1,*, Bojan I. Medjo 1, Jelena B. Bajat 1, Veljko R. Djokić 1,2,*
Affiliation: 1 University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia, dbarjaktarevic@tmf.bg.ac.rs, bmedjo@tmf.bg.ac.rs, jela@tmf.bg.ac.rs, vdjokic@tmf.bg.ac.rs
2 Innovation Centre of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia, vdjokic@tmf.bg.ac.rs
* Corresponding authors: dbarjaktarevic@tmf.bg.ac.rs; vdjokic@tmf.bg.ac.rs
Abstract: The anodic oxidation technique was used for surface modification, resulting in the formation of a titanium-based nanotube oxide layer on a coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained Ti-13Nb-13Zr (wt%) alloy. The modified surface morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique was used to determine the corrosion resistance of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy before and after anodic oxidation. The corrosion resistance was determined by exposing the examined materials to a solution, simulating conditions in the human body (Ringer's solution). In order to investigate the titanium-based nanotube oxide layer adhesion on the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy surface, a scratch test was performed. The hydrophilicity of the modified surface was measured by the contact angle between a drop of Ringer's solution and the modified surface. The anodic oxidation led to the formation of the nanotube oxide layer on the surface of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr (wt.%) alloy. The influence of the ultrafine-grained material structure on the homogeneity of the nanotube layer obtained by anodic oxidation was noticed. The ultrafine-grained structure contributed to the increased diameter of the nanotubes, while the combined effect of anodic oxidation and high-pressure torsion significantly increased the roughness of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr (wt.%) alloy surface, which is expected to enhance biomechanical compatibility by reducing cytotoxicity, providing a more adaptable modulus of elasticity for human body conditions, and ensuring adequate corrosion resistance and hydrophilicity. In this study, it was established that the examined materials showed adequate corrosion resistance for application as an implant in the human body. The scratch test demonstrated the good adhesion of the titanium-based nanotube oxide layer formed using anodic oxidation. Also, the determination of the surface contact angle showed that the surface after anodic oxidation is more hydrophilic than the surface before anodic oxidation.
Keywords: corrosion resistance; hydrophilic surface; innovative combination of anodic oxidation and severe plastic deformation; surface modification; scratch test; Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy; ultrafine-grained structure
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Keywords
- alloys
- surface engineering
- surface modification
- test and characterization
- chemical properties
- physical and mechanical properties
- corrosion behavior
- biocompatibility
- industrial application
- biomedical application
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