Testing of Bioceramic Coatings

A plethora of analytical methods exist to assess those chemical, mechanical, microstructural and biological properties of bioceramic coatings that control their performance in vitro and in vivo. 

In this chapter common methods to evaluate chemical properties and phase composition of bioceramic coatings will be briefly described that are available in many laboratories including X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrational spectroscopy techniques such as infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). These methods provide a host of information on bulk phase composition, degree of crystallinity and crystallite size. Some special techniques including cathodoluminescence serve to reveal intrinsic coating properties that cannot be assessed by conventional analytical techniques, for example to distinguish between amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and crystalline calcium phosphates. 

Biological properties to be determined relate to the response of living cells and tissue to foreign materials introduced into the human body. Commonly applied in vitro tests for cell viability and proliferation in contact with bioceramic coatings 

Bioceramic Coatings for Medical Implants Trends and Techniques, First Edition. 

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