Synthesis of composite calcium-phosphate coatings via pulsed photon processing

Abstract

The phase composition and mechanical properties of coatings generated on a Ti surface via the ion sputtering of a hydroxyapatite (HA) target and a compound (hydroxyapatite and Ti) target with subsequent pulsed photon processing (PPP) with incoherent xenon lamp radiation are investigated. It is found for the first time that pulsed photon processing accelerates the crystallization of amorphous films of Ca–P–O–H and Ca–P–O–H–Ti compositions, during which tricalcium phosphate Ca₃(PO₄)₂, titanium oxide TiO₂ (rutile, anatas), and perovskite CaTiO₃ are formed, depending on the radiation dose and the ratio between Ti and Ca phases (Ti/Ca) with hydroxyapatite structure. It is found that pulsed photon processing of initial amorphous coatings greatly increases their hardness (up to 10.9 GPa) and adhesion (up to 29.0 MPa).