Electrochemical study of the in vitro degradation of plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite/bioactive glass composite coatings after heat treatment

Hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated implants plasma-sprayed on metallic substrates have been widely used in load-bearing applications. In the present work, the in vitro behaviours of bioactive glass-containing HA coatings with post-deposition heat treatment in a simulated body fluid has been performed by means of electrochemical techniques. Annealing of the coatings in air at 650degreesC led to recrystallization of amorphous calcium phosphate and effectively increased the conversion of non-apatite phases into apatite. The heat treatment also resulted in a reduction of layer defects associated with plasma-sprayed coatings without adversely affecting bond strength of the coatings. Moreover, the heat-treated coatings significantly increased the corrosion potential and polarization resistance value by approximately two times as compared to untreated samples. Improved corrosion resistance could be attributed to reduction of layer defects and enhancement of coating crystallinity. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.