Investigation of argon plasma treatment on the structural, surface morphology and electrical properties of bovine cortical bone

In this study, bovine cortical bone was investigated under plasma treatment process to investigate the potential for improvements in their structural characteristics. The bone specimens were treatment with low pressure argon cold plasma at different treatment times; 15, 30, and 45 min. Various techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, surface roughness testing and automatic LCR Bridge were utilized to study the plasma-induced modifications on the structural and dielectric properties of the bone. SEM images revealed the elimination of some outer atoms from the bone surface during the 30-minute plasma ablation process, leading to more noticeable grain size of hydroxyapatite. XRD measurements confirmed the obtained results as mentoring the changes in crystallite size and strain parameters. As the treatment time approached 45 min, crystallite size increased, along with surface roughness parameters and relaxation time. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the microstructural and morphological changes occurring on the bone surface during cold argon plasma treatment.