Effect of ZrN coating by magnetron sputtering and sol-gel processed silica coating on titanium/porcelain interface bond strength.

In this study, a coating technique was applied to improve the bond strength of titanium (Ti) porcelain. ZrN coating was prepared by magnetron sputtering, and silica coating was processed by a sol-gel method. The treated surfaces of the specimens were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and the Ti/porcelain interface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The coated specimens appeared fully coherent to the Ti substrate. The fractured bonding surface was also investigated by SEM. The residual porcelain on the metal surface could be observed in the ZrN group and silica group, but there was no obvious porcelain remaining in the control group. A three-point-bending test showed that the bonding strength of the ZrN group (45.99 ± 0.65 MPa) was higher than the silica group (37.77 ± 0.78 MPa) (P < 0.001) and control group (29.48 ± 1.01 MPa) (P < 0.001), while that of the silica group was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.001). In conclusion, conditioning the ceramic surface with ZrN and silica coatings resulted in a stronger Ti/porcelain bond. ZrN coating by magnetron sputtering was a more effective way to improve the bond strength between Ti and porcelain compared with sol-gel processed silica coating in this study.