| Aluminum oxide coatings were applied to the ends of cylindrical metal samples of both 316L stainless steel and Ti-6Al-4V ELI using a plasma spraying process. These samples were fabricated into 4-point bend specimens which were then used to determine the strength. The characteristics of stress-assisted crack growth in these specimens were also analyzed using static and dynamic fatigue tests conducted in various physiological media at body temperature. The resulting information was used to evaluate these materials as potential biomaterials. In order to provide fundamental insights into the nature of the failure mechanisms, tests were also conducted as a function of temperature. Finally, special variations were made in the spraying process in an attempt to improve both the strength and resistance to stress corrosion in the two ceramic-metal systems. |
