Plasma-Sprayed HA/Sr Reinforced Coating for Improved Corrosion Resistance and Surface Properties of Ti13Nb13Zr Titanium Alloy for Biomedical Implants

Surgical implants are generally made-up of light metal or alloys like titanium and titanium alloys. In this study, attempts are made to enhance the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance by developing a protective layer with plasma-sprayed strontium-reinforced hydroxyapatite (HA-Sr) coatings at three levels (4, 8, and 12%) of weight percent (wt%) of Sr powder. The findings show that the surface hardness increases on increasing the Sr content in HA, whereas the surface roughness tends to decrease on Sr increment. The bare Ti13Nb13Zr substrate shows hydrophobic behavior while all the coated substrates are hydrophilic and give rise to the improved clinical performance of the implant. The electrochemical study showed that HA/Sr coated substrates possesses higher corrosion resistance than bare and pure HA-coated titanium substrate. The outcomes of this study indicated that the Ti13Nb13Zr alloy plasma-sprayed with HA and HA/Sr is beneficial for future bone implant applications.

Automated summary

The mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of surgical implants can be enhanced by developing plasma-sprayed strontium-reinforced hydroxyapatite coatings. Adding strontium to hydroxyapatite increases surface hardness and decreases surface roughness, leading to improved clinical performance.HA/Sr coated substrates showed higher corrosion resistance compared to bare and pure HA-coated titanium substrate, indicating potential benefits for future bone implant applications.