Effect of Auxiliary Gas Flow Parameters on Microstructure and Properties of Ta Coatings Prepared by Three-Cathode Atmosphere Plasma Spraying

Based on the three-cathode plasma spraying system,tantalum(Ta)coatings were pre-pared on the substrate of CuCrZr alloy.The effects of different auxiliary gas(helium)flow rates on the microstructure,phase composition,mechanical and wear resistance properties of Ta coatings were studied.The results showed that the oxidation degree of the coatings decreases first and then increases with the increase of the auxiliary gas flow.When the auxiliary gas flow rate is 70 L·min-1,the oxidation degree of the coating is the lowest,minimum value of the porosity is 0.21%,and the bonding strength reaches the maximum,59.3 MPa.At this time,the coating wear rate is 0.0012 mm^(3)·N^(-1)·m^(-1)with the best wear resistance.This indicates that the auxiliary gas flow has an important influence on the quality and surface mechanical properties of tantalum coating.

Phase structure of sputtered Ta coating and its ablation behavior by laser pulse heating(LPH)

Phase structure of sputtered Ta coating in the negative glow space and LPH effect were explored.The whole coating/substrate system is substrate→physically gas-absorbed Fe surface→oxygen-enriched TaOx layer→amorphous Ta→αandβdual phase→singleαphase.After LPH course,micro structure of Ta coating shows intact,only a few cracks emerge after 100 laser pulses,exhibiting thin HAZ but thick Fe/Ta ICZ,without martensitic transformation.For the electrodeposited Cr coating,continuous thermal stresses produce many extra micro-crack,substrate oxidation and martensitic transformation,leading to crack propagations and final bulk delamination,without any ICZ.

Experimental study of a 3D printed permanent implantable porous Ta-coated bone plate for fracture fixation

Metal plates have always been the gold standard in the clinic for internal fracture fixation due to their high strength advantages.However,high elastic modulus can cause stress shielding and lead to bone embrittlement.This study used an electron beam melting method to prepare personalized porous Ti6Al4V(pTi)bone plates.Then,chemical vapor deposition(CVD)technology coats tantalum(Ta)metal on the pTi bone plates.The prepared porous Ta-coated bone plate has an elastic modulus similar to cortical bone,and no stress shielding occurred.In vitro experiments showed that compared with pTi plates,Ta coating significantly enhances the attachment and proliferation of cells on the surface of the scaffold.To better evaluate the function of the Ta-coated bone plate,animal experiments were conducted using a coat tibia fracture model.Our results showed that the Ta-coated bone plate could effectively fix the fracture.Both imaging and histological analysis showed that the Ta-coated bone plate had prominent indirect binding of callus formation.Histological results showed that new bone grew at the interface and formed good osseointegration with the host bone.Therefore,this study provides an alternative to bio-functional Ta-coated bone plates with improved osseointegration and osteogenic functions for orthopaedic applications.