Effects of Ti6Al4V mechanical and thermal surface modification on the adhesion of a chitosan-bioactive glass coating

Biomedical implants interact with human tissues introducing significant perturbation into the body. Implant surfaces can be then functionalized enabling better biocompatibility. At the same time, the additional use of a coating provides further functions such as corrosion protection, osteointegration, and drug delivery. In this context, a composite made of chitosan and bioactive glass nanoparticles has been used for coating Ti6Al4V alloy samples processed beforehand using different processes, i.e., polishing, milling, grit blasting, and electrical discharge machining. Experiments have been carried out to correlate substrate surface conditions and coating effectiveness in terms of scratch resistance with the final aim to obtain suitable guidelines to improve substrate-coating performances.

Automated summary

Biomedical implants can cause significant perturbation to the human body, but functionalizing and coating implant surfaces can improve biocompatibility and provide additional functions such as corrosion protection, osteointegration, and drug delivery. In this study, a composite of chitosan and bioactive glass nanoparticles was used to coat Ti6Al4V alloy samples processed with different methods. Experiments were conducted to investigate the relationship between substrate surface conditions and the effectiveness of the coating in terms of scratch resistance, aiming to provide guidelines for improving substrate-coating performances.