Utility of tantalum (Ta) coating to improve surface hardness in vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility of Co–Cr

Abstract This study reports the utility of tantalum (Ta) coating for improving the surface hardness, in vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility of Co–Cr implants. The use of direct current sputtering allowed for the deposition of a dense and uniform Ta film onto a Co–Cr substrate, which was composed of β-phase Ta grains. This hard Ta coating significantly improved the surface hardness of the Co–Cr by a factor of > 2.3. In addition, the Ta-deposited Co–Cr substrate showed a vigorous precipitation of apatite crystals on its surface after 4 weeks of immersion in simulated body fluid, suggesting its excellent in vitro bioactivity. This bioactive Ta coating led to a considerable improvement in the in vitro biocompatibility of the Co–Cr, which was assessed in terms of the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of pre-osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1).