Surface Characterization of Pure and Composite Sol-gel Nano-coatings Deposited on 316L Stainless Steel for Hard Tissue Replacements

Coating of stainless steel (SS) plays a crucial role in improving the properties required for various biomedical applications. These characteristics include biocompatibility, mechanical along with corrosion and wear performances. In this respect, this study developed uniform pure hydroxyapatite (HA) and HA/ titania (TiO₂) composite films applied on the surface of SS using the sol-gel technique. The morphology and chemical composition of investigated surfaces were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Moreover, uncoated and coated SS substrates' surface roughness, micro-hardness, and wear characteristics were evaluated. The results displayed that a homogeneous nano-scale surface with higher values of micro-hardness and wear resistance is obtained for coated SS substrates, especially for HA/TiO₂ composite coating.

Keywords:
316L stainless steel; coating; hard tissue replacements; nanocoatings; nanocomposite film