Electrophoretic deposition of polyetheretherketone/polytetrafluoroethylene on 316L SS with improved tribological and corrosion properties for biomedical applications

Introduction 316L stainless steel (316L SS) has poor wear and corrosion resistance compared to that of the Cp-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V implants [when studied under a physiological environment using phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)]. However, 316L SS implants are cost-effective. Their wear and corrosion properties can be improved by depositing biocompatible coatings. Method In this research work, a polymer coating of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was deposited at optimized parameters (20 V for 3 min) on 316L SS via electrophoretic deposition (EPD). We compared the performance between of the PEEK coating and hybrid PEEK/PTFE coatings for biomedical applications. The PEEK/PTFE coating was sintered at 350°C for 30 min. Results and Discussion Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the PEEK/PTFE coating showed a uniform coating with a uniform thickness of ∼80 µm. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of bonds attributed to the PEEK and PTFE coatings. The PEEK/PTFE coating exhibited adequate average surface roughness (R a ) of 2.1 ± 0.2 µm with a high value of contact angle of 132.71 ± 3, indicating the hydrophobic nature of the PEEK/PTFE coating. Scratch tests evaluated that the PEEK/PTFE coating demonstrated a 7 N load, which indicated the good adhesion between the coating and 316L SS. Furthermore, the PEEK/PTFE coating demonstrated good wear resistance, capable of withstanding a 7 N load under dry conditions, and showed a specific wear rate of ∼0.0114 mm 3 /Nm. Electrochemical analysis conducted using the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution demonstrated that the corrosion rate of 316L SS was reduced from 0.9431 mpy to 0.0147 mpy by depositing the PEEK/PTFE coating. Thus, the developed coatings present suitable wear and corrosion resistance and are thus considered for potential orthopedic applications.