Abstract

ESGUERRA-ARCE, A. et al. An approximation of tribological behavior of Ti_1-xAl_xN coatings against animal bone in ringer's solution. Rev. mex. fis. [online]. 2014, vol.60, n.3, pp.222-226. ISSN 0035-001X.

Due to their excellent properties, Ti-Al-N coatings have become attractive for biomedical applications. In this paper, friction and wear properties of Ti_1-xAl_xN films having various aluminum contents, x, have been studied. Adhesion was measured by the scratch test technique; friction was carried out by a pin-on-disk tribometer using an animal bone-pin as counterpart and Ringer's solution as simulated body fluid; and wear mechanisms were identified by SEM and EDS. It was found that the coating with x = 0.41 exhibited the highest COF, conserves its integrity as a coating, and causes the lowest wear on the bone in Ringer's solution.

Keywords : Sliding wear; PVD coatings; corrosion wear; biological aspects.