Development of calcium fluoride thin film on Ti-6Al-4V material by a dip coating process with an intermediate shellac layer for biocompatible orthopedic applications

Calcium fluoride (CaF₂) is widely used for different bio applications ranging from biomedical imaging to cell labeling. The biocompatible properties of CaF₂ combined with superior mechanical properties of titanium alloy makes it a perfect choice for orthopedic and dental implants. A dip-coating process was employed to develop a thin film of CaF₂ coating on Ti6Al4V material with an intermediate thin layer of shellac (natural resin). The developed coating was subjected to X-ray powder diffraction method (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the surface characteristics. The dip-coated implant material was also subjected to mechanical property evaluation, dissolution behavior study, and corrosion behavior study. In vitro study of the developed implant material was also carried out to assess the biocompatibility. The obtained results suggest use of CaF₂ coating developed by this method for producing biocompatible orthopedic implants.