A new evaporation-based method for the preparation of biomimetic calcium phosphate coatings on metals

This study reports a new method to prepare biomimetic calcium phosphate coatings on titanium, stainless steel, CoCrMo, and tantalum. The method does not require surface etching, high supersaturation, or tight control of solution conditions. Metallic samples were dipped into a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution, withdrawn, and left to dry at room temperature. Calcium phosphate crystallites formed on and completely covered the surfaces by repeating the dip-and-dry treatment. The crystallite-covered surfaces readily grew to calcium phosphate coatings when immersed in the supersaturated solution. The mechanism of the treatment was suggested to be an evaporation-induced surface crystallization process.