The thermal spray processing of HA powders and coatings

In recent years, coated implants have been actively researched and put to use in many biomedical engineering applications. The coating used on the implants is hydroxyapatite (HA), a calcium-phosphate compound with attractive bioactive and biocompatible properties that can enhance the fixation process of biomedical implants. Thermal spraying provides a potent means for depositing the HA coatings on implants. Among the popular thermal-spray techniques are combustion-flame spray, plasma spray, and high-velocity oxy-fuel spray. This article investigates the versatility of thermal-spray techniques to perform spheroidization of HA powders, the preparation of HA-based biocomposite powders and coatings, and the deposition of HA coatings.