Effect of Powder Reuse on the Corrosion Behavior of Anodized and Flash-Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation-Treated Laser-Powder Bed Fusion Ti-6Al-4V ELI

The present work compares the corrosion performance of additively manufactured (AM) Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Extra-Low Interstitials) alloy manufactured by Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) using virgin powder (Cycle 1/C1 sample) and reused powder feedstock after up to 34 cycles (Cycle 34/C34 sample) of manufacturing. The effect of powder reuse is also evaluated for anodizing and Flash-PEO-coated specimens in Harrison’s (25 °C) and Hanks’ solutions (37 °C), representing simulated atmospheric precipitation and physiological conditions, respectively. Specimens were characterized using common metallographic techniques, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and optical profilometry. Corrosion resistance was evaluated using cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) tests. The oxygen content in the Ti-6Al-4V reaches 0.14 wt.% after 34 cycles (C34) of powder reuse, enhancing its passivity in both Harrison’s and Hanks’ solutions. Both virgin and reused powder builds are susceptible to localized corrosion in Hanks’ solution at potentials above 1.75 V. Melt pool borders are thought to be the preferential sites for localized corrosion, as indicated by Volta potential measurements (ΔV = 100 mV). The number of cycles does not significantly affect the current–voltage responses for anodizing and flash-Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (Flash-PEO) treatments, although anodizing is slightly more responsive to variations in surface roughness (i.e., real specimen area). Anodizing and Flash-PEO reduce the passive current density by nearly two orders of magnitude. Even after surface treatment, the alloy printed with reused powder revealed better passivity. Flash-PEO coatings yielded significant protection against localized corrosion. This unlocks Flash-PEO processing as a successful protection approach for AM biomedical components.