Anodized Titanium
Source: Wikipedia
Anodized titanium is used in a recent generation of dental implants. Anodizing generates a thicker layer of titanium dioxide (>1 µm and up to >2.5 µm compared with much less than 1 µm for un-anodized specimens) and a characteristic surface topography. It has been suggested that both of these parameters improve the performance—longevity, stability—of dental implants, but the technology is still new and there are not yet clear clinical data to support these claims.
Titanium anodic films cannot be made thicker than about 300nm, and are therefore susceptible to mechanical damage.
Anodizing titanium generates an array of different colors without dyes, for which it is sometimes used in art, costume jewelry and wedding rings. The color formed is dependent on the thickness of the oxide (which is determined by the anodising voltage); it is caused by the interference of light reflecting off the oxide surface with light traveling through it and reflecting off the underlying metal surface. Titanium nitride coatings can also be formed, which have a brown or golden color and have the same wear and corrosion benefits as anodization.
Selected Colors Achievable Through Anodization of Titanium
