Development and Characterization of Multilayered Cu/HA/ZnS + PEEK Coating System by Hybrid Technology

Abstract

In this study, multilayered Cu/HA/ZnS + PEEK coatings were fabricated using hybrid technology on Zr–2.5Nb alloy substrates. The use of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and heat treatment allowed the 1st base composite ZnS + PEEK layer and the 2nd hydroxyapatite (HA) top layer to be obtained. The EPD kinetics of both layers was studied. Heating at a temperature of 450 °C and slow cooling resulted in densification and sulfonation of PEEK. It also led to an increase in the adhesion of HA particles on the surface of the PEEK + ZnS layer and to the settlement of HA particles deep into the 1st layer. The effect of substrate preparation on the adhesion strength of coatings was investigated. The ZnS + PEEK layer exhibited high adhesion to the chemically treated zirconium alloy. Furthermore, the first layer was characterized by a high scratch resistance. The selective distribution of Cu on the top of the coating was obtained by shadow-masked pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The multilayered coatings exhibited high roughness and mild hydrophobicity. This study showed the possibility of obtaining a multilayered coating system with a controlled distribution of bioactive components (HA) and antimicrobial components (Cu) on its surface using a hybrid method that combined EPD, heat treatment, and PLD.