Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films have been deposited by RF plasma-assisted glow dischargeCVD on AISI 304 stainless steel and Ti-6AI-4V substrates. A substrate plastic straining technique (to measure the strength and adhesion of the coating) and erosion testing (to measure its durability) have been used, before and after exposure to various fluids (distilled water, phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS) and bovine serum). The films on both substrates had excellent adhesion before exposure to the fluid, being slightly higher for those on Ti substrates. PBS solution affected the adhesion adversely, whereas distilled water and serum had no apparent effect. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopic studies revealed that there were no changes in the atomic structure of the coatings during exposure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements indicated that PBS tends to penetrate through perforations in the film and attack the thin transition layer of graded Si/C composition between the a: Si-H layer and the DLC coating. An increase in exposure temperature increased the population of defects in samples exposed to PBS. Coatings on Ti exhibited similar characteristics, but were considerably more resistant to damage. This may be due to a lower incidence of defects and perforations in these films.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.