Abstract
Carbon coatings are used in many different industrial areas, for example in cutting, electronics, or medical applications. On the one hand, carbon coatings have improved the functional properties of medical products because of their high biotolerance, which makes them an important material for implant coatings. On the other hand, high rigidity and abrasion resistance are properties needed in case of surgical tools. Thus, the aim of this research was to study the influence of mechanical abrasion by tumbling and chemical passivation on carbon coatings deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering (RMS) and radio frequency plasma activated chemical vapor deposition (RF PACVD) of X39Cr13 (mainly used for surgical tools) and 316LVM (mainly used for implants). Functional properties, such as roughness, coatings adhesion (scratch test), and wettability were investigated. As a result, DLC coatings applied by magnetron sputtering were found to be the optimum surface treatment in terms of adhesion and wettability properties, being more appropriate for the use of X39Cr13 base than 316LVM for carbon layer deposition.
Highlights
IntroductionA significant increase in osteosynthesis procedures is associated with the need of adequate surgical instruments
diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings applied by magnetron sputtering were found to be the optimum surface treatment in terms of adhesion and wettability properties, being more appropriate for the use of
A significant increase in osteosynthesis procedures is associated with the need of adequate surgical instruments
Summary
A significant increase in osteosynthesis procedures is associated with the need of adequate surgical instruments. Enhancing the wear resistance of surgical instruments is associated with durability and cost of exploitation, and with the medical aspect of use. This derives from the fact that the operation performed with blunt tools is dangerous for the patient. Sufficient durability of tools is a vital factor. It has a significant influence on the correctness of surgical procedures. Durability of a tool is primarily determined by its geometrical form (adapted to surgery) and selection of the correct metallic materials with mechanical properties that guarantee the transfer of load generated during surgery. In case of surgical tools, information that can be found in the literature is limited because the main area of Metals 2019, 9, 815; doi:10.3390/met9080815 www.mdpi.com/journal/metals
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