Corrosion fatigue behavior of nanoparticle modified iron processed by electron powder bed fusion

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Due to its excellent biocompatibility, pure iron is a very promising implant material, but often features corrosion rates that are too low. Using additive manufacturing and modified powders the microstructure and, thus, the material properties, e.g., the corrosion properties, can be tailored for specific applications. Within the scope of this study, pure iron powder was modified with different amounts of CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> or Fe<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>O<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> nanoparticles and subsequently processed by Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB/M). The corrosion-fatigue behavior of CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> and Fe<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>O<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> modified iron was investigated using rotation bending tests under the influence of simulated body fluid (m-SBF). While the modification using Fe<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>O<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> showed reduced fatigue and corrosion-fatigue strengths, it could be demonstrated that the modification with CeO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> is characterized by improved fatigue properties. The superior fatigue properties in air are attributed to the positive impact of dispersion strengthening. Additionally, an increased degradation rate compared to pure iron could be observed, eventually promoting an earlier failure of the specimens in the corrosion fatigue tests.</jats:p>