Electrophoretic deposition of hydroxyapatite submicron particles at high voltages

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings on stainless steel 316L were produced by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) in ethanol at 200, 400, and 800 V during 0.5 to 3 s. The particle size distribution of the starting suspension was 0.275 to 4.88 mum, with an average size of 1.805 mum. Submicron particle coatings were obtained and then sintered at 800 degreesC during 2 h. The sintered coatings presented a very homogeneous polycrystalline structure free of cracks. The results show that the application of high voltage during short times is an effective method to obtain HA coatings with good sinterability. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.