Characteristics of silver-containing titanium-based coating after thermal oxidation

This study has been initiated to form a silver (Ag)-incorporated titanium oxide (TiO₂) outermost layer over a medical-grade 316L stainless steel by subsequent applications of cold spray (CS) and thermal oxidation (TO) processes. X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy examination and Raman analysis revealed that TO at 600°C for 60 h in the air formed a 3 μm thick exterior layer composed of the rutile form of titanium oxide and metallic silver over the CS coating fabricated by depositing a mixture of 87 wt.% titanium (Ti), 8 wt.% aluminium (Al) and 5 wt.% silver powder. This exterior layer exhibited superior bioactivity and wear resistance along with a sufficient antibacterial activity, which can further be improved by adjusting the distribution and/or content of silver in its structure.