Study on plasma-spraying coating bioactive ceramics onto silicon nitride surface as composite endosteal implants

The successful key of endosteal implants depends on the properties of implant materials which are very important for oral implantology at the present. Because silicon nitride has high strength and hydroxylapatite (HA) and flourapatite (FA) have good biocompatibility. In this paper, we apply silicon nitride as base material. Plasma spray HA, FA onto its surface as composite endosteal implants. Physical and chemical properties test, includes X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), EDAX and bonding strength test (push-out test). The results indicate: after plasma-spraying coating, crystalline phase of HA and FA unchanged and form a lot of pores among the crystal particles. Those pores benefit bone growing into them. It is very important for implants to be fixed in bone for long time, Ca/P ratio has no significant change. Bonding strength test results indicate: Si3N4-HA 23.6MPa, Si3N4-FA 27.12 MPa are higher than that of Ti-HA 15.07 MPa. On the basis of these studies, they are kinds of ideal implant materials.