Mechanical properties of TiO₂-hydroxyapatite nanostructured coatings on Ti-6Al-4V substrates by APS method

TiO₂-hydroxyapatite (HA) nanostructured coatings were produced by atmospheric plasma spray method. The effects of starting powder composition and grain size on their mechanical properties were investigated. The microstructure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is found that the coating with 10% HA has the best mechanical properties. Based on Rietveld refinement method, the mean grain size of the as-received powder (212 nm) extensively decreases to 66.4 nm after 20 h of high-energy ball milling. In spite of grain growth, the deposited coatings maintain their nanostructures with the mean grain size of 112 nm. SEM images show that there is a lower porosity in the coating with a higher HA content. Optical microscopy images show that uniform thickness is obtained for all the coatings.