Prediction of cyclic delamination lives of plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coating on Ti–6Al–4V substrates with considering wear and dissolutions

This study aims at developing the prediction model of cyclic delamination lives of plasma-sprayed HAp coating on Ti-6Al-4V substrate by considering wear by interface contacts and dissolution effect by Simulated Body Fluid (SBF). Delamination of HAp coating can lead to loosening of implants stem and final failure in vivo. In the fracture mechanism of interfaces between HAp coating with Ti substrates, only adhesive strength (interracial tensile strength) or fatigue behavior by longitudinal cracking have been observed. Cyclic delamination mechanism by considering various loading modes and corrosion effect has not been revealed yet. The interface delamination rates by cyclic loading were much higher than those by static loading tests. The result clearly demonstrated that the interface demalination behaviors are dominated not by maximum stress, but by stress range. Surface profile measurement and SEM observation also demonstrated damages by interface contact or third body wear at delamination tips of HAp coating only in the cases of compressions. The mechanisms of acceleration on the delaminations are third-body wear or wedge effect by worn particles which increased mean stress level during cyclic loading. Cyclic loading tests under SBF also revealed that cyclic delamination lives were shortened probably due to crevice corrosion at interfaces. Dissolutions at the tips of delaminations were observed by SEM images under tensile loading condition in SBF. Linearly adding the effects of wear and dissolutions into Paris law could successfully predict the delamination lives of HAp coating for various loading ratios in SBF.