Effect of a magnetron-sputtered ZrSiN/ZrO2 film on the bond strength of commercially pure titanium to porcelain

Abstract

The excessively thick and nonadherent titanium oxide layer formed during the porcelain sintering process can cause bonding problems between titanium and porcelain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a magnetron-sputtered ZrSiN/ZrO2 composite film on the bond strength of commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) to porcelain. Sixty-eight cast titanium specimens were prepared according to the ISO 9693 standard and then divided into 2 coated and 2 noncoated groups (n=17). The ZrSiN/ZrO2 composite film was deposited on specimens of the 2 coated groups by magnetron sputtering. A low-fusing porcelain was applied on 1 coated group and 1 noncoated group. A surface profilometer, surface roughness tester, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to examine the characteristics of the film and the interfacial properties, while the bond strength of titanium-porcelain specimens was analyzed with the 3-point bend test. The results were analyzed with an independent samples t test (α=.05). The mean bond strength of ZrSiN/ZrO2-coated CP Ti to porcelain (43.67 ±2.08 MPa) was significantly higher than that of the noncoated group (35.44 ±3.56 MPa). A generally cohesive failure mode was observed in the coated group, but the failure mode in the noncoated group was adhesive. EDS data showed that the ZrSiN/ZrO2 film effectively prevented the intrusion of oxygen into the Ti substrate. The data suggested that the magnetron-sputtered ZrSiN/ZrO2 film could significantly improve the bond strength of CP Ti to porcelain and this may have clinical significance.