COMBINED XRD AND TEM STUDIES OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL COATINGS DEPOSITED ON TITANIUM

摘要

Titanium, both pure and alloyed, remains the most frequently used metal in implant dentistry, despite the fact that many novel materials have been developed and thoroughly investigated for the last few decades. A lot of effort has been put into reinforcing the low mechanical properties of titanium, restricting it from advanced medical applications. Generally, the material could be strengthened by means of alloying or plastic deformation methods. Aluminium- and vanadium-free β-alloys have drawn a great deal of attention, due to the reduced toxicity and satisfying strength, however alloying is a time-consuming and expensive procedure. The use of metal forming processes, in which significant grain refinement is achieved, may be a promising technique to improve the mechanical characteristics of titanium [1]. In case of medical applications, an appropriate bonding between the bare metal and the living tissue is required, therefore a vast of surface modification techniques has been explored and optimized throughout the years. The micro-arc oxidation (MAO), also known as plasma electrolytic oxidation, produces rough, porous and well-adherent coatings on valve metals. It emerges as a promising alternative to plasma spraying process, the only one applicable in the field of medicine so far [2].