Hydroxyapatite coating on titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V with electrophoretic deposition (EPD) for dental root application

Abstract

An α+β type titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-4V, has been coated with hydroxyapatite through electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method to improve quality of the alloy surface, in order to fulfill bioactivity requirement for orthodontic application as dental roots. The deposition process was conducted by EPD at different voltages (2 volts, 5 volts, and 10 volts) and time (2 minutes and 5 minutes). After deposition, the material was heated at temperature 700°C for 1 hour using a vacuum furnace. Coated samples analysis was conducted by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) to examine coating layer morphology and its chemical composition, respectively. Experimental results showed that the voltage and time deposition gives different effects to surface coverage and thickness of hydroxyapatite layers. Optimum layer for dental roots is obtained from the voltage of 5 volts for 5 minutes with 100% surface coverage value and 45.55μm in thickness. With low voltage and short deposition time for making a uniform coating layer, this process is much cheaper than other processes, and it is predicted to be favorable for improving osseointegration of dental roots.