• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.181-187
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• 1998

Hydroxyapatite was used as implant materials, because it has a good biocompatibility and is similar to human bone. However it is not expected to have a high strength as implant materials because of a low fracture strength after sintering of HAp. Alumina ($\alpha$-alumina) shows a stable chemical properties and high strength in physiological environments. Thus it was tried to use a HAp coatings on Alumina substrate as implant materials. In this study, HAp was coated on Alumina substrate by lon Beam Assisted Deposition(IBAD). Then Ag was impregnated on HAp coating layer, which showed antimicrobial effects. To carry out the ion exchange of $Ag^+$ with $Ca^{2+}$ in HAp on the surface, HAp coated alumina substrate was immersed in 20ppm, 100ppm $AgNO_3$ solution at room temperature for 48 hours. Antimicrobial test was studied by using bacteria, which normally caused periprosthetic infections. The follwing bacteria was used in antimicrobial test. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram negative) and staphylococcus epidermidis (gram positive). Ag impregnated HAp shows very good antimicrobial effects against these bacteria. The surface structure of sample, which was treated in $AgNO_3$ solution was studied by SEM, XRD. Ag release curve was studied in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) solution.

• The Journal of Engineering Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.189-197
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• 1998

Hyeroxyapatite(HAp) which has good biocompatibility was made by Wet Chemical Process. The surface of Ti-6Al-4V, coated with HAp by lon Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD), was treated with 5ppm, 10ppm, 20ppm, and 100ppm of $AgNO_3$ solution. In this Ag impregnation process, $Ca^{2+}$ of HAp was substituted with $Ag^+$ of $AgNO_3$. In this study, the antimicrobial effect and biocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V alloy which was coated with Ag-HAp were examined. The antimicrobial test was carried out with two kinds of bacteria(P. Aeruginosa, S. Epidermidis), which are highly infectious in a transplanting operation of implant materials. As a result of the test, it was observed that Ti-6Al-4V alloy which was treated by 20ppm of $AgNO_3$ solution has good biocompatibility. In order to observe the antimicrobial mechanism of $Ag^+$, E. coli which is the most common bacterium was treated by Ag-HAp. Then cell morphology of E. coli was observed by the transmission electron microscope(TEM). The destruction of cell wall and cytoplasm of E. coil were observed. A black spot appeared in the cytoplasm was analyzed by energy dispersive analysis X-ray (EDAX) and it showed a small amount of $Ag^+$. Thus, it was proved that $Ag^+$ destroys bacteria effectively and Ti-6Al-4V alloy which was impregnate with Ag ion show antimicrobial effect on infection bacteria.