Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study the behavior of two different sets of as-sprayed coatings obtained from two different starting HA powders, in a defined simulated body fluid (SBF) for a period of 28 days. Spray-dried hydroxyapatite (SDHA) and spheroidized hydroxyapatite (SHA) were the two selected powders. A Controlled Atmosphere Plasma Spraying system (CAPS) was use for the production of the coatings. Effect of pressure and surrounding atmosphere during the spraying of the coatings, were also evaluated. During the in-vitro test, dissolution of the coatings and precipitation of a poorly crystallized apatite in a preferential crystallographic orientation ([001] direction) was observed for the two sets of coatings. Dissolution of the coatings was measured by: 1) weighing the specimen before and after soaking and 2) by measuring the calcium ion concentration in the SBF solution with the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP-AES). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) exposed the morphology of the coatings and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) revealed their structure and composition.
