Mechanical and bioactive properties of PVD TiO2 coating modified PEEK for biomedical applications.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is gaining popularity in the biomedical field due to its excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance and biocompatibility. Although PEEK is an excellent biomaterial, it may require bulk surface modification to tailor its properties for specific biomedical applications. In this study, the surface modification of PEEK was achieved by depositing titanium dioxide (TiO2) by PVD method. The microstructure and mechanical properties of TiO2 coatings were studied by SEM/EDS and nanoindentation tests. Conventional scratch tests were performed to determine the adhesion and tribological properties of the TiO2 films. An in vitro study was performed in simulated body fluids to evaluate the osteocompatibility of TiO2 coated PEEK. According to the results The TiO2 coating has a dense microstructure and good adhesion, the critical cohesive load Lc1 is greater than 1N. The TiO2 film improved the mechanical properties of the PEEK substrate: hardness and elastic modulus increased from ∼0.33 to ∼4.03 GPa to ∼3.6 and ∼21.85 GPa, respectively. In addition, compared with the PEEK substrate, the coating showed a 61% improvement in wear resistance and a reduction in the coefficient of friction from 0.38 to 0.09. The results also showed that the TiO2 coating induces the formation of hydroxyapatite on the surface, which promotes the osteocompatibility of PEEK.