Interfacial study of magnesium-containing fluoridated hydroxyapatite coatings

Abstract Magnesium-containing fluoridated hydroxyapatite (Mg x FHA) coatings have been developed to improve the biological performances of fluoridated hydroxyapatite (FHA) coatings. The coatings are deposited on Ti6Al4V substrates via a sol–gel process. The interface between the coating and substrate is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for coating thickness, elemental distribution and chemical states. Pull-off test is used to evaluate the adhesion strength. The results show that the interdiffusion of elements happens at the coating/substrate interface. The incorporation of Mg ions into FHA coatings enhances the pull-off adhesion strength between the coating and the substrate, but no significant difference is observed with different Mg concentrations.