Fracture toughness of nanoscale hydroxapatite coatings on titanium substrates

Abstract

In the biomedical field, the surface modification of titanium aims to inhibit wear, reduce corrosion and ion release, and promote biocompatibility. Sol-gel-derived ceramic nanoscale coatings show promise due to their relative ease of production, ability to form a physically and chemically uniform coating over complex geometric shapes, and their potential to deliver exceptional mechanical properties due to their nanocrystalline structure. In this study hydroxyapatite coatings on titanium were investigated for their fracture toughness.