Fabrication and characterization of modified-hydroxyapatite/polyetheretherketone coating materials

45 wt%-Hydroxyaptite/polyetheretherketone (HA/PEEK) coating materials modified by silane coupling agent (KH560) on PEEK substrate were successfully fabricated by solution casting method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile testing. The modified HA fillers were obtained to be uniformly distributed in the HA/PEEK coating, which has better properties of tensile strength and fracture toughness than those of the unmodified specimen. A good bonding between the composite coating and the PEEK substrate was achieved by solution casting method, resulting in integral-fracture without falling apart or delaminating during tensile loading. The modified specimens dipped into simulated body fluid (SBF) were characterized by SEM, XRD and FTIR, indicating that the bioactivity of the dipped materials was demonstrated more apparent with extending the dipping time. Therefore, the coating materials may become the substitutes for the hard tissues of the human body in the future, which could realize the balance between the mechanical properties and the bioactivity by modifying the structural design of the coating.