Fabrication and Characterization of Zein/Hydroxyapatite Composite Coatings for Biomedical Applications

Stainless steel is renowned for its wide use as a biomaterial, but its relatively high corrosion rate in physiological environments restricts many of its clinical applications. To overcome the corrosion resistance of stainless steel bio-implants in physiological environments and to improve its osseointegration behavior, we have developed a unique zein/hydroxyapatite (HA) composite coating on a stainless steel substrate by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD). The EPD parameters were optimized using the Taguchi Design of experiments (DoE) approach. The EPD parameters, such as the concentration of bio-ceramic particles in the polymer solution, applied voltage and deposition time were optimized on stainless steel substrates by applying a mixed design orthogonal Taguchi array. The coatings were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and wettability studies. SEM images and EDX results indicated that the zein/HA coating was successfully deposited onto the stainless steel substrates. The wettability and roughness studies elucidated the mildly hydrophilic nature of the zein/HA coatings, which confirmed the suitability of the developed coatings for biomedical applications. Zein/HA coatings improved the corrosion resistance of bare 316L stainless steel. Moreover, zein/HA coatings showed strong adhesion with the 316L SS substrate for biomedical applications. Zein/HA developed dense HA crystals upon immersion in simulated body fluid, which confirmed the bone binding ability of the coatings. Thus the zein/HA coatings presented in this study have a strong potential to be considered for orthopedic applications.