Performance of electrochemically deposited hydroxyapatite on textured 316L SS for applications in biomedicine

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the biocompatibility of laser-textured 316L stainless steel (SS) coated with hydroxyapatite (HA) for orthopaedic implants. Powdered HA was electrochemically deposited on the laser-textured surface of 316L SS, and various tests were conducted on its surface to assess its biocompatibility. A particle size analyser was used to determine the average HA particle size, and a 3D optical profilometer was employed to characterise the surface roughness of the laser-textured samples. Contact angle measurement results provide insights into the wettability of the substrate. Microscopy tests revealed that, compared to those without HA coating, HA coatings on spherical dimpled textures exhibited better cell adherence. Among the tested samples, a sample with 98% laser energy input, 40.45° contact angle, and 75.976 µm HA coating thickness was found to be the most suitable for bone implantation.

KEYWORDS:

• Laser surface texturing
• hydroxyapatite coating
• 316L SS
• contact angle
• dimple distance
• biocompatibility
• electrochemical deposition
• vitro diagnostics