TiCuN solid solution coating: Excellent wear-resistant biocompatible material to protect artificial joint

To prolong the service lifetime of artificial joint, it is imperative to improve mechanical and tribological properties of the prosthetic materials, which could be achieved by adding a surface protective layer. The TiCuN solid-solution coating is highlighted in this work for this application. Higher hardness, lower friction coefficient, and enhanced wear resistance are demonstrated with TiCuN solid-solution coating with 5.2 at% Cu dopant, comparing to pure TiN and TiN/Cu nano-composite coatings. In addition, the live/dead staining and morphology of cells cultured on the surface of TiCuN solid-solution coating point out that the TiCuN coating exhibits excellent biocompatibility, which could be potentially applied as the artificial joint protective coating in human body.