Flame Spray Deposition of Titanium Alloy-Bioactive Glass Composite Coatings

摘要

Powders of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) and bioactive glass (45S5) were deposited by flame spraying to fabricate composite porous coatings for potential use in bone fixation implants. Bioactive glass and titanium alloy powder were blended and deposited in various weight fractions under two sets of spray conditions, which produced different levels of porosity. Coatings were characterized with cross-sectional optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Immersion testing in simulated body fluid (SBF) was conducted for 0, 1, 7, and 14 days. Hydroxyapatite (HA) was found on the bioactive glass-alloy composite coatings after 7 days of immersion; no HA was observed after 14 days on the pure titanium alloy control coating. The HA formation on the alloy-bioactive glass composite coating suggests that the addition of bioactive glass to the blend may greatly increase the bioactivity of the coating through enhanced surface mineralization.