Ti Alloy Surface Research Articles

Electrochemical characteristics of Sr/Si-doped hydroxyapatite coating on the Ti alloy surface via plasma electrolytic oxidation

The purpose of this study is to investigate the electrochemical characteristics of Sr/Si-doped hydroxyapatite coating on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface via plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO).Ti-6Al-4V alloy of extra low interstitial grade disk was used as the anode and the carbon rod was used as the cathode. PEO treatment was carried out using pulsed DC power at 280 V for 3 min. The electrolyte used for PEO was prepared by mixing Ca(CH3COO)2•H2O, C3H7NaCaO6P, Sr(CH3COO)2•0.5H2O, and Na2SiO3•9H2O. The potentiodynamic polarization test were performed by potentiostat in a 0.9% NaCl solution at 36.5 ± 1°C. Electrochemical impedance tests were carried out using potentiostat at the open circuit potential in a 0.9% NaCl solution at 36.5 ± 1°C. The PEO-treated surface and corrosion morphology were investigated by field mission scanning microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.The number of pores increase and average size of the pores decreased as Sr increase, and area occupied by pore was decreased. In the case of Si and Sr addition to electrolyte, corrosion potential was apparently increased compared to specimen of Sr addition to electrolyte. Polarization resistances of PEO-treated Sr and Sr/Si specimens showed the higher than those of Bulk and CaP specimens from data of electrochemical impedance test.

Fabrication and evaluation of antimicrobial biomimetic nanofiber coating for improved dental implant bioseal: An in vitro study.

A weak implant-soft tissue interface may lead to bacterial ingression, breakdown of underlying tissues, and eventually implant failure. This study proposes a surface modification technique of titanium alloy (Ti), using a nano-biopolymer scaffold to enhance soft tissue attachment in dental implants. Gelatin (20% w/v) embedded with 10 ± 2nm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was electrospun to form a gelatin electrospun mat (GEM) scaffold, bonded to Ti alloy surface using chemical surface functionalization. Antimicrobial activity of AgNPs was tested against representative Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) at 4, 24, and 48hours and after embedding in scaffold at 48 hours. Cytotoxicity analysis (MTT assay) was performed using the 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line at 24 and 72 hours for two groups: control (unmodified Ti disc) and experimental (GEM embedded with AgNPs); and further validated by scanning electron microscopy. The AgNPs-embedded GEM showed good antimicrobial activity at 48 hours, with the AgNPs showing complete (99.99%) inhibition of bacterial colony counts at 24 and 48 hours. Cell viability and proliferation over the GEM modified Ti discs were seen to be significantly increased (P<0.05) at 72 hours as compared with control. SEM images revealed intimate spreading of fibroblasts, with differentiated cell morphology and pseudopodial processes, indicative of enhanced fibroblastic adhesion, growth, and differentiation over the scaffold. Results show good antifouling properties and biocompatibility of the fabricated coating, making it a promising strategy to reduce postoperative infections and peri-implant diseases in Ti dental implants.

Nanotopographic features induced by plasma flame modulate the osteoinductivity of titanium alloy

Nanotopographical surface modification of titanium alloy implants is effective in improving the osseointegration. Herein, a new nanotopography modulation approach was proposed based on the plasma flame (PF) generated by plasma spraying equipment. It was proved that the PF treatment can not only produce TiO2 on the Ti alloy surface, but also modulate its nanostructural characteristics. Besides a peak at 200–250 nm, the PF treatment induces extra light adsorption peaks located at 350–400 nm and 800–900 nm, depending on the nanostructure. In vitro cell culture experiments prove that the introduction of surface TiO2 nanotopography by the PF treatment modulates cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. This study highlights the potential of the PF treatment as a nanotopography modulator for enhancing the biological performance of the biomedical Ti alloy.

Experimental study on laser surface texturing and wear characterization of titanium alloy

Creation of micro grooves, micro features, and micro textures in required dimensions are easily obtained by laser assisted micromachining technologies. This study focused to investigate the wear characterization of micro-textured Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy. Initially, surface textures were formed on the Ti alloy surfaces by fiber lasers. Surface textured specimens were subjected to wear studies in pin on disc tribometer to estimate the wear resisting capacity. Optical microscopy and 3D optical spectroscopy were used to analyze the waviness of the surface textures. After detailed texturing studies, the specimen is used for testing wear characterization which is done under dry sliding conditions. Load is the important characteristics which is followed by velocity and distance slide over the surface. SEM is used to investigate the details of structure and wear performance of the titanium alloy. The wavy laser surface texturing has greater impact on the wear resistance capabilities.

Fabrication of titanium-based alloys with bioactive surface oxide layer as biomedical implants: Opportunity and challenges

Titanium and its alloys have long been used as implant materials due to their outstanding mechanical properties and apparent biocompatibility. Despite this, the search for better alloys has continued to be active by researchers and industries alike, as there are still pressing issues that require attention. These include (1) a large mismatch in the elastic modulus of the implant material, which causes a stress shielding problem; (2) the release of harmful ions from Ti alloys after long-term use; (3) a low bioactivity of the Ti alloy surface, which prolongs the healing process. More research has been directed toward finding new generation Ti alloys composed of more biocompatible phases and modifying the surface of Ti alloys from naturally bio-inert to bioactive in order to circumvent the problems. This review examines recent work reported on the fabrication of Ti alloys, and based on the survey, major characteristics highlighted the importance of elastic modulus and the use of non-toxic metal elements to improve biocompatibility. In terms of surface modification of Ti alloys, numerous studies have found that a nano-scaled surface oxide layer grown on the surface is always beneficial to improving the bioactivity of Ti alloys for rapid recovery after implantation. This comprehensive review focuses on the appropriate phase and composition for new Ti alloys intended for use as biomedical implants, emphasizing both fabrication and surface modification methods.

Laser Texturing for Superwetting Titanium Alloy and Investigation of Its Erosion Resistance

Erosion of materials is one of the major causes that lead to the malfunction of equipment and facilities, and surface texturing can be a solution for enhancement of erosion resistance. In this work, superwetting (superhydrophilic/superhydrophobic) titanium (Ti) alloy surface with periodic microstructure was prepared by a facile laser-based surface texturing approach which combines laser surface texturing and low-temperature annealing. The effect of laser-induced surface texture and wettability on the erosion resistance of the laser textured surface was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze the chemical surface microstructure and surface on the untreated and laser textured surfaces. The hardness and contact angle of the untreated surface, superhydrophilic surface and superhydrophobic surface were measured by microhardness tester and contact angle goniometer. Using an in-house built erosion experimental setup, the erosion resistance of the untreated surface, superhydrophilic surface and superhydrophobic surface was investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that micro-bumps are formed after laser surface texturing. In the meantime, the surface hardness for the laser textured surface with a step size of 150 μm is increased by 48% under the load of 1.961 N. Compared with the untreated surface, the erosion resistance is increased by 33.9%, 23.8% and 16.1%, respectively, for the superhydrophobic surface. The SEM results show that the untreated surface has large and deep impact pits, while the superhydrophobic surface only has small and shallow impact pits, indicating that the erosion process resulted in less damage to the substrate. The EDS results shows that superhydrophobicity plays a critical role in protecting the substrate from erosion. It is thus believed that the superhydrophobic surface has pronounced effects for improving the hardness and erosion resistance of Ti alloy.

Elastic-plastic properties of titanium and its alloys modified by fibre laser surface nitriding for orthopaedic implant applications

Laser nitriding is one of the most promising approaches to improve wear resistance of Ti alloy surfaces and may extend the use in orthopaedic implants. In this study, three types of Ti alloys, namely alpha commercially pure Ti (“TiG2”), alpha-beta Ti–6Al–4V (“TiG5”), and beta Ti-35.5Nb-7.3Zr-5.7Ta (“βTi”), were subjected to an open-air laser nitriding treatment. Essential elastic-plastic mechanical properties including elastic modulus, hardness, elastic energy, plasticity index, and hardness-to-elasticity ratio of the laser-treated Ti alloys were characterized using nanoindentation experiment. The results showed that the elastic modulus, hardness and elastic energy values of all Ti samples significantly increased in the nitrided layer compared to respective bare substrates for all three Ti materials. Across different Ti samples, βTi sustained its relatively lower elastic modulus, but presented comparable hardness, elastic energy, plasticity index, as well as hardness-to-elasticity ratio in the nitrided layer compared to the other two Ti alloys. Overall, amongst three medical grade Ti alloys in this study, βTi appeared as the most appealing candidate for joint replacement applications even solely in view of mechanical compatibility when combined with surface laser nitriding. Nevertheless, laser nitriding treatment in this study tended to cause a residual compressive stress on all Ti alloys as displayed by cracks developed in the nitrided layer and analyzed on βTi by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and further nanoindentation tests.

Synergistic Photoantimicrobial Chemotherapy of Methylene Blue-Encapsulated Chitosan on Biofilm-Contaminated Titanium.

Intensive efforts have been made to eliminate or substantial reduce bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on titanium implants. However, in the management of peri-implantitis, the methylene blue (MB) photosensitizer commonly used in photoantimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is limited to a low retention on the implant surface. The purpose of this study was to assess enhancive effect of water-soluble quaternary ammonium chitosan (QTS) on MB retention on biofilm-infected SLA (sandblasted, large grid, and acid-etched) Ti alloy surfaces in vitro. The effectiveness of QTS + MB with different concentrations in eliminating Gram-negative A. actinomycetemcomitans or Gram-positive S. mutans bacteria was compared before and after PACT. Bacterial counting and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) detection were examined, and then the growth of human osteoblast-like MG63 cells was evaluated. The results indicated that the synergistic QTS + MB with retention ability significantly decreased the biofilm accumulation on the Ti alloy surface, which was better than the same concentration of 1 wt% methyl cellulose (MC). More importantly, the osteogenic activity of MG63 cells on the disinfected sample treated by QTS + MB-PACT modality was comparable to that of sterile Ti control, significantly higher than that by MC + MB-PACT modality. It is concluded that, in terms of improved retention efficacy, effective bacteria eradication, and enhanced cell growth, synergistically, PACT using the 100 μg/mL MB-encapsulated 1% QTS was a promising modality for the treatment of peri-implantitis.

Titanium-peroxy and peroxide complex functionalities on Ti-6Al-4V alloy effected by modification with active radicals

For the first time, the oxidation of Ti-6Al-4V surface was performed in a liquid environment subjected to ozonation. Based on the XPS spectra collected the oxidative effect of proposed Ti-alloy surface modification was discussed. It was found a significant increase in the amount of oxygen double-bonded with Ti with simultaneous diminution in C amount. The possible mechanism of the oxidation process is explained as follows: the intensive reaction of ozone with hydroxyl ions present in the reaction electrolyte results in the advanced generation of a variety of active radicals occurring in the chain reaction. These reactive species containing oxygen, diffuse to the surface of Ti-alloy, and affects its oxidation with the accompaniment of rebuilding of oxygen bonding with Ti. Within this scenario, the titanium-peroxy and peroxide complexes can be formed on the Ti surface what in part is confirmed by the increased amount of surface oxygen in the surface.

Bioinspired antibacterial surface for orthopedic and dental implants.

Bacterial infections still present a significant concern in orthopedic and dental implant failure. Previous investigations have focused on modifying the surface texture, roughness, or coating implants with antibiotics to provide enhanced anti-bacterial properties. However, they have demonstrated limited success. In this study, we attempted to engineer the titanium (Ti) alloy surface biomimetically at the nano level using alkaline hydrothermal treatment (AHT) inspired by cicada's wing structure. Two modified surfaces of Ti plates were developed using 4 and 8-hr AHT at 230°C. We found that the control plates showed a relatively smooth surface, with little artifacts on the surface. In contrast, 4-hr AHT and 8-hr AHT plates showed nano-spikes of heights around 250-350 and 100-1,250 nm, respectively, that were distributed randomly all over the surface. We found a statistically significant (p < 0.05) number of non-viable cells for both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa bacterial strains when incubated for 1hr in a dynamic environment when compared with the control group. The 8-hr AHT groups killed 38.97% more S. aureus in static culture and 11.27% in a dynamic environment than the 4-hr AHT. Overall, the findings indicate that the nanostructures generated on titanium by the AHT showed significant bactericidal properties. We, therefore, recommend conducting alkaline hydrothermal treatment on the surfaces for future orthopedic and dental metallic implants.

The effect of chemical structure on the tribological performance of perfluorosulfonate ILs as lubricants for Ti-6Al-4V tribopairs

The lubrication of Ti-6Al-4V tribopairs with various tetraalkyl phosphonium perfluorosulfonate ionic liquids (TPP ILs, C6F13SO3P4444, C8F17SO3P4444 and C8F17SO3P8888) was systematically investigated and compared with conventional ILs lubricants based on BF4− or PF6− and TFSI− anions. The results show that the TPP ILs have superior lubricating properties to existing IL lubricants on Ti-6Al-4V. Analysis of the lubrication mechanism showed that both physicochemically adsorbed films and tribochemical reaction films were produced on Ti alloy tribopair surfaces during sliding when lubricated with the TPP ILs. The formation of physicochemically adsorbed films between the TPP ILs and the friction surfaces were mainly responsible for the superior tribological properties compared to the reference samples. By comparing the tribological properties of TPP ILs with those of the tetrabutyl ammonium perfluorosulfonate IL C8F17SO3N4444 and tetrabutyl phosphonium carboxylate IL C8F15O2P4444, the chemical structures of the perfluorosulfonate ILs was found to have significant influence on the lubricating ability. The introduction of the sulfonate group and P-containing functional group effectively improved the lubricating properties of the TPP ILs to lubricate Ti alloy tribopairs. This work provides insight into the behavior of IL lubricants on Ti alloy surfaces, and will inspire further studies into use of liquid lubricants for titanium alloys.

In situ preparation of antibacterial Ag particles on Ti6Al4V surfaces by spray deposition

In this study, spray deposition technology was used for in situ preparation of silver (Ag) particles on additively manufactured Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces. An amount of silver particles (200 nm) was uniformly achieved on pristine or acid-etched titanium (Ti) alloy surfaces by designing the spraying passes. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to confirm their composition and crystal structure. The antibacterial activity of the prepared silver particles was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Thereafter, the antibacterial activity of silver particles on Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria was investigated by utilizing the bacterial counting method. The damaged cell membranes around the silver particles revealed excellent antibacterial properties, indicating the possibility of harnessing the spray deposition method to take advantage of the in-situ-produced antibacterial silver coatings on additively manufactured metallic materials. The excellent antibacterial activity of the surfaces suggests that silver particles prepared by spray deposition are potential candidates for future dental implant applications.

Antibacterial and cytocompatible coatings based on poly(adipic anhydride) for a Ti alloy surface

This paper describes a formation of hybrid coatings on a Ti–2Ta–3Zr–36Nb surface. This is accomplished by plasma electrolytic oxidation and a dip-coating technique with poly(adipic anhydride) ((C6H8O3)n) that is loaded with drugs: amoxicillin (C16H19N3O5S), cefazolin (C14H14N8O4S3) or vancomycin (C66H75Cl2N9O24 · xHCl). The characteristic microstructure of the polymer was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Depending on the surface treatment, the surface roughness varied (between 1.53 μm and 2.06 μm), and the wettability was change with the over of time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed that the oxide layer did not affect the polymer layer or loaded drugs. However, the drugs lose their stability in a phosphate-buffered saline solution after 6.5 h of exposure, and its decrease was greater than 7% (HPLC analysis). The stability, drug release and concentration of the drug loaded into the material were precisely analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results correlated with the degradation of the polymer in which the addition of drugs caused the percent of degraded polymer to be between 35.5% and 49.4% after 1 h of material immersion, depending on the mass of the loaded drug and various biological responses that were obtained. However, all of the coatings were cytocompatible with MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. The drug concentrations released from the coatings were sufficient to inhibit adhesion of reference and clinical bacterial strains (S. aureus). The coatings with amoxicillin showed the best results in the bacterial inhibition zone, whereas coatings with cefazolin inhibited adhesion of the above bacteria on the surface.

Physico-chemical and biological evaluation of doxycycline loaded into hybrid oxide-polymer layer on Ti–Mo alloy

Oxide-polymer coatings were formed on the surface of the vanadium-free Ti–15Mo titanium alloy. The Ti alloy surface was modified by the plasma electrolytic oxidation process, and then, the polymer layer of a poly (D, l-lactide-co-glycolide) with doxycycline was formed. The polymer evenly covered the porous oxide layer and filled some of the pores. However, the microstructure of the polymer surface was completely different from that of the PEO layer. The surface morphology, roughness and microstructure of the polymer layer were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a confocal microscope. The results confirmed the effectiveness of polymer and doxycycline deposition in their stable chemical forms. The drug analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The 1H NMR technique was used to monitor the course of hydrolytic degradation of PLGA. It was shown that the PLGA layer is hydrolysed within a few weeks, and the polyglycolidyl part of the copolymer is hydrolysed to glycolic acid as first and much faster than the polylactide one to lactic acid. This paper presents influence of different microstructures on the biological properties of modified titanium alloys. Cytocompatibility and bacterial adhesion tests were evaluated using osteoblast-like MG-63 cells and using the reference S. aureus and S. epidermidis strains. The results showed that the optimum concentration of doxycycline was found to inhibit the growth of the bacteria and that the layer is still cytocompatible.

A Mg/Zn-co-doped composite coating on a titanium surface enhances osteogenic activity through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Although Ti alloys have good biocompatibility and mechanical properties, they lack bioactivity and cannot integrate with surrounding bone tissue when used as implants; thus, their clinical application is limited. In this study, a Mg/Zn-co-doped micro/nanocomposite coating (TZM) was prepared on a Ti alloy surface by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), and the effect of the coating on the biological behaviour of osteoblasts on its surface was observed in experiments conducted in vitro and in vivo. Based on these findings, the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the effect of TZM on osteogenic differentiation was studied. The results show that TZM had a porous micro/nanostructure and was uniformly co-doped with Mg and Zn. TZM promoted the adhesion, spreading, proliferation and differentiation of MG-63 cells. In vivo experiments showed that Ti implants with the TZM coating stimulated new bone formation and promoted early implant osseointegration. More importantly, the addition of Wnt3a cells cultured on pure Ti (PT) significantly upregulated the level of β-catenin, and the addition of Dkk1 to cells cultured on the TZM surface significantly inhibited β-catenin activity. In conclusion, the preparation of a Mg/Zn-co-doped micro/nanocomposite coating through PEO is a feasible method for enhancing the osteogenic activity of Ti implants, and the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway may be involved in the mechanism by which the coating promotes osteoblast differentiation.

Effect of laser shock peening with and without protective coating on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-alloy

Owing to their good mechanical properties, titanium based alloys are used for machine parts and devices that operate in demanding regimes and environmental conditions. Laser shock peening (LSP) is an innovative technique for improvement of the surface and mechanical characteristics of the material. In this paper, LSP is employed for additional improvement of already good characteristics of Ti- alloy. Laser shock peening is performed on alloy surface, with and without protective and transparent layer and obtained microstructure, surface characteristics and mechanical properties are compared. LSP improved the surface topology and microhardness of material, producing overall better results when the Ti-alloy surface was coated by transparent and protective layer.

Effects of Alloying Elements (Ti and xAl) on the Electrochemical Corrosion Behaviour of Iron-Based Alloys in Corrosive Solutions of Different pH

In this research, the effects of Ti addition, increased Al content (x = 12, 19 and 28 wt%) and pH of the corrosive solution on the corrosion behaviour of Fe, Fe–12Al, Fe–19Al, Fe–28Al and Fe–7.7Al–8.5Ti alloys were electrochemically studied through the potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), open-circuit potential (OCP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. In all test solutions, the OCP reported generally that the open-circuit potential shift is positive compared to the Fe-alloy. The PDP results confirmed that the investigated alloys record a decrease in the corrosion rate in the following order: Fe–7.7Al–8.5Ti < Fe–xAl < Fe. Also, the corrosion current density (icorr) decreases with increasing the Al content. The experimental impedance data clearly confirmed that, increased Al content in the binary Fe–xAl alloys increases the corrosion resistance; moreover, ternary Fe–Al–Ti was superior to Fe–xAl against corrosion where more thicker and resistant passive layer is formed on the Fe–Al–Ti alloy surface. For all alloys, the corrosion resistance reaches maximum passivation in neutral rather than acidic or basic solution. The charge-transfer resistance, Rct, was compared with the polarization resistance, Rp, for accurate analysis of the EIS and PDP results. The surface analysis (SEM/EDAX) showed the participation of the different alloying elements in the protection according to the alloy constituents. It turned out that presence of Al and Ti increase the corrosion resistance. For industrial applications, the results lead to the recommendation of the Fe–7.7Al–8.5Ti alloy in the industrial chemical processes which require high corrosion resistance as that of halides resistance.

Longevity Aspects of Potable Water Disinfected by Ionic Silver: Kinetic Experiments and Modeling

In the International Space Station (ISS), Russian and European cosmonauts drink water disinfected by dissolved silver. For this to be effective, the concentration of silver should remain above a certain threshold from the moment of its initial disposition in storage tanks on earth until its final consumption in ISS. Unfortunately, during water tanks transportation to ISS and during storage in ISS, silver concentration has been reported to decrease intensively beyond any reason. This work examines the effect of different materials used in ISS water storage and distribution systems on the reduction of silver concentration. An experimental campaign has been organized where passivated stainless steel (SS), passivated and electropolished SS and titanium alloy coupons (official ISS grades) are exposed to simulated ISS potable water at different silver concentrations, different surface to volume ratios, and at stagnant or flow conditions. The evolution of silver concentration remaining in the bulk water is recorded with respect to the exposure time. A reaction engineering model for the Ag loss to the coupons is developed. The model is fitted to the experimental data in order to derive the reaction rate expression and the corresponding parameters. For passivated SS and electropolished SS the silver deposition rate depends on the initial silver concentration in water but is rather unaffected by the progress of silver deposition on the surface. On the other hand, for Ti alloy, while silver deposition rate still depends on initial silver concentration, it decreases continuously as silver deposition on the surface advances, implying that Ti alloy surface becomes gradually saturated and so prevents further silver deposition. Such a model can be useful for material selection and design of water storage and distribution facilities for ISS.

On the machinability and properties of Ti-6Al-4V biomaterial with n-HAp powder-mixed ED machining.

Nano-hydroxyapatite powder was used in electric discharge machining to modify the surface of Ti-6Al-4V medical alloy. Herein, electric discharge machining was performed, with and without powder-mixed flushing for evaluation of the material erosion rate and surface roughness. In addition to dielectric type, several process parameters including current, pulse-on duration, pulse-off duration, and electrode hole diameter were considered. The experiments were planned by Taguchi design technique and conducted to analyze the material erosion rate and surface roughness. After machining, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to evaluate the surfaces of the samples. Furthermore, wear and corrosion tests were also carried out on the Ti alloy with modified surfaces. The influential factors were identified based on analysis of variance results. Current and dielectric type were the significant factors, both for the material erosion rate and surface roughness. The scanning electron microscope images of Ti-6Al-4V samples highlighted that the process parameters exhibited a vital influence on the topology and microstructure of machined surface. Furthermore, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed the presence of hydroxyapatite on Ti alloy surface after machining. Moreover, the results of wear and corrosion tests revealed lower wear and corrosion rates of the surface-treated workpiece with nano-hydroxyapatite.

45S5 bioactive glass coating on Ti6Al4V alloy using pulsed laser deposition technique

Bioactive glass 45S5 (BG) has been proposed as a biomaterial and extensively studied on account of its superior bioactive behavior. In this paper, we report our results on thin film deposition of BG on Ti6Al4V alloy using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. A Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) based pulsed laser deposition system has been used for this work. Post deposition, surface morphology, and chemical composition of the obtained films on Ti-alloy surface have been examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX). In vitro bioactivity of these PLD coated Ti-alloy samples was evaluated by immersing the BG coated Ti-alloy samples in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 10 days. SBF immersed samples have been analyzed using SEM, EDX, and micro Raman spectroscopic techniques. Superior growth of bone like apatite i.e. hydroxyapatite (HAP) have been observed on such BG coated Ti-alloy samples in comparison to uncoated Ti-alloy in our investigations. Also, biocompatibility tests carried out by us measuring tolerance of U2OS osteosarcoma cells to these PLD coated Ti6Al4V samples have shown positive results.