Study of the adhesion and uniformity of calcium phosphate nanocomposite coating alumina-zirconia

Nanocomposite Al2O3/ZrO2 have to be promising to be used as biomaterials for promoting significant improvements in the microstructural homogeneity, mechanical properties and be biologically inert. Among the techniques to make it more useful biological performance, the biomimetic coating has been highlighted, and its efficiency can be improved from previous surface treatments. In this sense, the objective of this work was to study the adhesion and uniformity of calcium phosphate nanocomposite coating of Al2O3 containing 5% by volume of nanometric inclusions of ZrO2. For this nanocomposites were shaped, sintered, chemically treated with solutions of H3PO4, HNO3 and NaOH, and plasma in different process conditions: 20%N2-80%H2, 40%N2-60%H2, 40%N2-40%H2-20%O2, 30%N2-50%H2-20% O2, 100% N2 and 100%O2 and covered with solutions biomimetic that simulate the blood plasma (SBF 1.5x and 5.0x) in the times of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of incubation. From the results obtained it can be seen that prior surface treatments promoted variations in average surface roughness (Ra) from 0.045 to 0.079 micrometers. Furthermore, regardless of surface treatment, formation of the observed only three-phase calcium phosphate: hydroxyapatite (HA), tricalcium α-phosphate (α-TCP) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). It was also observed that the percentage of phases formed varied according to the treatment, suggesting the possibility of controlling the ratio TCP:HA. In the results obtained by scratching test was observed that plasma treatments performed, HNO3 and H3PO4 increased the critical load (Lc) between 2.0 and 2,9N, thereby improving the adhesion of the calcium phosphate layer is formed. Cell proliferation assays The strain using chinese hamster cells (CHO) have demonstrated that nanocomposites treated with H3PO4, HNO3 and NaOH, and coated with solution biomimetic SBF 5.0x are biocompatible. (AU)