(Ti, O)/Ti and (Ti, O, N)/Ti composite coatings fabricated via PIIID for the medical application of NiTi shape memory alloy

Abstract In this investigation, the plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIIID) technique was used to fabricate (Ti, O)/Ti or (Ti, O, N)/Ti coatings on a NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA, 50.8 at.% Ni) to improve its corrosion, wear resistance, and bioactivity. After coating fabrication, the structure and properties of composite coatings were studied, and the coated and uncoated NiTi SMA samples were compared with each other. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination of coating surfaces and cross‐sections showed that (Ti, O)/Ti and (Ti, O, N)/Ti composite coatings were dense and uniform, having thickness values of 1.16 ± 0.08 μm and 0.95 ± 0.06 μm, respectively. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that there were no diffraction peaks corresponding to TiO₂ or TiN for (Ti, O)/Ti and (Ti, O, N)/Ti composite coatings, suggesting that after the PIIID treatment, TiO₂ and TiN were amorphous or nanosized in the coatings. Energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis indicated that the interface between the coating and NiTi SMA substrate was gradual rather than sharp. In addition, EDX elemental mapping of coating cross‐sections showed that Ni was depleted from the surface. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves revealed that the shape memory ability of NiTi SMA was not degraded by the PIIID treatment. The width of wear tracks on (Ti, O, N)/Ti coated NiTi SMA samples was reduced 6.5‐fold, in comparison with that on uncoated samples. The corrosion potential (E_corr) was improved from −466.20 ± 37.82 mV for uncoated samples to 125.50 ± 21.49 mV and −185.40 ± 37.05 mV for (Ti, O)/Ti coated and (Ti, O, N)/Ti coated samples, respectively. Both types of coatings facilitated bone‐like apatite formation on the surface of NiTi SMA in simulated body fluid (SBF), indicating their in vitro bioactivity. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2011.