Comparison between hydroxyapatite/soapstone and hydroxyapatite/ reduced graphene oxide composite coatings : synthesis and property improvement.

Abstract

Economic viability and eco-friendliness are important characteristics that make implants available to the pop- ulation in a sustainable way. In this work, we evaluate the performance of a low-cost, widely available, and eco- friendly material (talc from soapstone) relative to reduced graphene oxide as reinforcement to brittle hy- droxyapatite coatings. We employ a low-cost and straightforward technique, electrodeposition, to deposit the

composite coatings on the titanium substrate. Corrosion, wear, and biocompatibility tests indicate that the reduced graphene oxide can be effectively replaced by talc without reducing the mechanical, anticorrosion, and

biocompatible composite coatings properties. Our results indicate that talc from soapstone is a promising ma- terial for biomedical applications.