Characterization of New Sputtered Hydroxyapatite/Titanium Coatings for Dental Implant Applications

Characterization of New Sputtered Hydroxyapatite/Titanium Coatings for Dental Implant Applications
S.-J. DING, Chung-Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
2003
IADR
Objectives: Many studies have been made to develop hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings, due to its osteoconductivity and mechanical properties, on metallic substrates for dental and orthopedic prostheses. A new biocompatible multi-layered coating was developed by alternately depositing Ti and HA layers on Ti6Al4V substrates using radio frequency magnetron-assisted sputter processing to improve the interface properties between the coating and the substrate. Methods: The phase, structure and bond strength of sputtered coatings prior to and after immersion in simulated body fluid were investigated. One-way ANOVA statistical analysis was used to evaluate the statistical significance of bond strength data. Results: The as-sputtered coating had quite uniform thickness and well bonded to the substrate. The multi-layered coating exhibited a better electrochemical behavior than monolithic HA coating. The X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and low vacuum scanning electron microscopy results consistently indicated that highly crystalline coating was not appreciably dissolvable in simulated body fluid. The adhesion strength higher than 60 MPa did not change much even after 14 weeks of immersion. Conclusion: The multi-layered composite coatings combined the advantages of high and non-declining adhesion strength, high resistance to SBF attack and higher bioactivity and could be a potential implant candidate for load-bearing applications. Supported by Taiwan grant NSC 90-2213-E-040-002. sjding@csmu.edu.tw