Structure, tribocorrosion and biocide characterization of Ca, P and I containing TiO2 coatings developed by plasma electrolytic oxidation

In hip joint implants, in particular in the stems, wear-corrosion effects can accelerate the degradation of the biomaterial. The lack of osseointegration and the risk of contracting implant-associated infections may be other reasons for a premature failure of the implant. In this work, TiO2 coatings have been developed by means of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique in order to achieve wear-resistant hard coatings with osseointegration ability and biocide characteristics. During the PEO process, elements that favor cell growth, like Ca and P, were introduced into the coating. With the purpose of providing the coating with antibacterial properties iodine was added like biocide agent. The microstructure and chemical composition of the developed coatings were analyzed in order to see if the surface of the films was suitable for the cell attachment. The effect of wear-corrosion synergy was studied by means of tribocorrosion tests. Finally, the biocide capacity of iodine against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis was analyzed through bacterial adhesion tests. High wear and corrosion resistance was shown in one of the developed coatings. The achieved surface microstructures seem to be appropriate to improve the osseointegration with proper pore size and porosity index. The antibacterial capacity of iodine was confirmed for S. epidermidis. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.