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Vol.4, No.3, 2025: pp.145-163
Surface engineering of titanium via micro-arc oxidation with hydroxyapatite/nano-silver composite coatings: in vitro and in vivo biological performance evaluation
Authors:
Nabaa S. Radhi1
, Saja Hamzah2
, Talib Abdulameer Jasim3
, Zainab Al-Khafaji4,5
,
Mayadah Falah6
, Waleed Muwafaq Al-Aloosi7
1Metallic Engineering Department, College of Materials Engineering, University of Babylon, Babylon, Iraq
2Babylon Governorate Court, Iraq
3Department of Aeronautical Technical Engineering, College of Technical Engineering, Al-Farahidi University, Baghdad, Iraq
4Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, 64001, Iraq
5Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
6Building and Construction Techniques Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Engineering Techniques, Al-Mustaqbal University, 51001, Babylon, Iraq
7Department of Medical Instruments Engineering Techniques, College of Engineering, University of Al Maarif, Al Anbar, 31001, Iraq
Received: 4 August 2025
Revised: 15 September 2025
Accepted: 24 September 2025
Published: 30 September 2025
Abstract:
Titanium (Ti) implants often suffer from limited bioactivity and corrosion susceptibility, necessitating advanced surface modifications to enhance their clinical performance. In this study, hydroxyapatite (HA) and HA/nano-silver (HA/nAg) composite coatings were fabricated on Ti substrates using the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) method at 200 V with deposition times of 30–60 s and Ag loadings of 0.5–2 g/L. Experimental evaluations demonstrated that HA/nAg coatings exhibited markedly improved surface roughness, hardness, and corrosion resistance compared to uncoated Ti. Vickers hardness increased significantly with the incorporation of 0.5–1 g/L Ag, reaching a maximum of 162.25 HV, whereas higher Ag concentrations (>1.5 g/L) caused a decline due to microstructural defects. Antibacterial testing revealed effective inhibition of E. coli growth for all Ag-containing coatings, with enhanced osseointegration confirmed in vivo by histology and quantitative metrics. Histomorphometric analysis showed that 1 g/L Ag achieved the highest bone–implant contact (65.2%) and bone volume density (51.5%), outperforming both uncoated Ti and pure HA coatings. Conversely, excessive Ag loadings were associated with reduced BIC and BV/TV, reflecting silver-induced cytotoxicity. Collectively, these findings identify HA/nAg coatings, particularly at 1 g/L Ag and 60 s deposition, as the optimal condition for enhancing corrosion resistance, antibacterial activity, and osseointegration of titanium implants.
Keywords:
Tissues, Micro-Arc Oxidation, Surgical Process, Titanium alloys, coatings
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© 2025 by the authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Volume 5
Number 1
March 2026.
How to Cite
N.S. Radhi, S. Hamzah, T.A. Jasim, Z. Al-Khafaji, M. Falah, W.M. Al-Aloosi, Surface Engineering of Titanium via Micro-Arc Oxidation With Hydroxyapatite/Nano-Silver Composite Coatings: In Vitro and in Vivo Biological Performance Evaluation. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(3), 2025: 145-163.
https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.4
More Citation Formats
Radhi, N.S., Hamzah, S., Jasim, T.A., Al-Khafaji, Z., Falah, M., & Al-Aloosi, W.M. (2025). Surface Engineering of Titanium via Micro-Arc Oxidation With Hydroxyapatite/Nano-Silver Composite Coatings: In Vitro and in Vivo Biological Performance Evaluation. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(3), 145-163. https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.4
Radhi, Nabaa S., et al. “Surface Engineering of Titanium via Micro-Arc Oxidation With Hydroxyapatite/Nano-Silver Composite Coatings: In Vitro and in Vivo Biological Performance Evaluation.“ Advanced Engineering Letters, vol. 4, no. 3, 2025, 145-163. https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.4
Radhi, Nabaa S., Saja Hamzah, Talib Abdulameer Jasim, Zainab Al-Khafaji, Mayadah Falah, and Waleed Muwafaq Al-Aloosi. 2025. “Surface Engineering of Titanium via Micro-Arc Oxidation With Hydroxyapatite/Nano-Silver Composite Coatings: In Vitro and in Vivo Biological Performance Evaluation.“ Advanced Engineering Letters, 4 (3), 2025: 145-163. https://doi.org/10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.4
Radhi, N.S., Hamzah, S., Jasim, T.A., Al-Khafaji, Z., Falah, M. and Al-Aloosi, W.M. (2025). Surface Engineering of Titanium via Micro-Arc Oxidation With Hydroxyapatite/Nano-Silver Composite Coatings: In Vitro and in Vivo Biological Performance Evaluation. Advanced Engineering Letters, 4(3), pp. 145-163. doi: 10.46793/adeletters.2025.4.3.4.