Dissolution kinetics of calcium phosphate coatings.

Plasma spray and high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) techniques produce coatings with varying composition and amounts of amorphous and crystalline phases. For coatings containing greater amorphous phases, a higher release of calcium ions is evident when samples are placed in Hank's calcium-free balanced salt solutions. Calcium is released from the amorphous phases in the coating, a conclusion that is supported by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD) results. Ion beam sputtering and RF magnetron sputtering under lower energy conditions produce amorphous coatings that will dissolve in a very short time period. When heat treated, crystalline phases are produced in the coatings. Heat-treated coatings are significantly more stable than the amorphous coatings. The dissolution rates of both amorphous and crystalline coatings produced by RF magnetron sputtering have been measured under constant solution conditions at pH 6.50. No reprecipitation is possible under these conditions. The amorphous coating dissolved at a significantly higher rate than the heat-treated coating. Reprecipitation of calcium phosphate onto amorphous coatings is possible in a physiological pH solution. Under these conditions, the dissolution rate of the amorphous coating is four times slower than at the pH 6.50 conditions.