Selection of the implant and coating materials for optimized performance by means of nanoindentation

Mechanical compatibility between a coating and a substrate is important for the longevity of implant materials. While previous studies have utilized the entire coating for analysis of mechanical compatibility of the surface, this study focuses on the nanoindentation of a uniformly thermally sprayed splat. Hydroxyapatite was thermally sprayed to create a homogeneous deposit density, as confirmed by microRaman spectroscopy, of amorphous calcium phosphate. Substrates were commercially pure Ti, Ti–6Al–4V, Co–Cr alloy and stainless steel. Nanoindentation revealed that splats deposited on the different metals have similar hardness and elastic modulus values of 4.2 ± 0.2 GPa and 80 ± 3 GPa, respectively. The mechanical properties were affected by the substrate type more than residual stresses, which were found to be low. It is recommended that amorphous calcium phosphate is annealed to relieve the quenching stress or that appropriate temperature histories are chosen to relax the stress created in cooling the coating assembly.