Effect of surface morphology on apatite formation

The bioactivity of Ti6A14V induced by SSPB (supersonic particles bombarding) and alkali treatment was investigated in this work. More coarse surfaces were formed by SSPB and alkali treatment, which led to better bioactivity than that by only alkali treatment. Apatite began to appear on the surface of specimen only after 1 day of immersion in 1.5 SBF. As time passed, they gradually covered the whole surfaces. After 7 days of soaking in vitro, apatite formed and covered all the surfaces of the titanium alloys, and they packed very densely and uniformly. EDS and XRD results proved all the new-formed phases were composed of a carbonate containing hydroxyapatite with small crystallites and defective structure. As a result, SSPB treatment might be an effective way to enhance the bioactivity of titanium alloys for implantation.