Electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) of calcium phosphate coatings

Using electrostatic spray deposition (ESD), thin calcium phosphate layers were deposited onto commercially pure cp-Ti substrates. ESD is a thin-film technique that enables the deposition of inorganic thin films onto metallic substrates using a simple and cheap experimental set-up. The results show that coating structure and morphology can be tailored by choosing the appropriate combination of deposition parameters. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that various surface morphologies, ranging from dense to very porous coatings, can be obtained. Particularly interesting was a unique reticular coating morphology characterized by a three-dimensionally interconnected pore network. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) analyses showed that crystalline carbonate apatite coatings were formed after heat treatment of as-deposited ESD coatings.