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Titanium passivation versus anodizing

October 14, 2008

Can anyone tell me if passivation of Titanium is required per ASTM B600 [affil. link] for orthopedic implants. or is a type II or Type III anodization process alone sufficient.

Jason Gerold
product designer - Eden Prairie, Minnesota USA

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October 15, 2008

ASTM B600 [affil. link] is as much a pretreatment process as it is a "passivation." Titanium pretty well passivates itself but in manufacturing other materials - metal cutting tools, cutting and lubricating fluids, deburring media, etc. - can become embedded in the surface of the titanium. The cleaners and acidic etch specified in B600 will remove those contaminants allowing the titanium to reform a fully protective passive layer. Combining B600 followed by anodic treatment may be used to impart color, however, in my opinion results in little additional degree of protection. In my experience, titanium anodizing is performed for coloring to ease identification during surgical procedures. It's hard to believe that anyone anodizing isn't performing an ASTM B600 [affil. link] treatment prior to anodizing.

Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Anoplate Corporation

Syracuse, New York