Low velocity oxy fuel spraying of hydroxyapatite coating on a multifunctional UNS S31254 austenitic stainless steel

Artificial material such as stainless steel (SS) is widely used for orthopaedic applications owing to its superior properties, ease of fabrication and lower cost. However, in the body environment, stainless steel can leach toxic elements such as nickel and chromium. To prevent this, a hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating having chemical characteristics very similar to the human bone was deposited on a medical-grade UNS S31254 austenitic stainless steel by a Low-velocity oxy-fuel spray gun (LVOF). The coating was characterised by using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FTIR). The adhesion strength, microhardness and corrosion behaviour were studied using the Tensometre, Vickers microhardness tester and potentiodynamic polarisation with electrochemical impedance spectroscope. The bacterial adhesion and bioactivity of the coating were also evaluated. The LVOF sprayed HAp coating has shown better corrosion resistance, higher bioactivity and higher hardness than the uncoated steel. The presence of tricalcium phosphate, octa-calcium phosphate (OCP) and tetra-calcium phosphate (TTCP) was found in the coating. LVOF sprayed HAp coating is also found suitable in lowering the bacterial adhesion on the steel substrate.