Biomaterials are effective alternatives for tissue substitution, including the bone tissue, since they do not pose risks of transmission of diseases or immune rejection. Nowadays, there is an interest in new materials capable of being associated with other substances which favor bone formation, especially natural biopolymers, in particular chitosan, which may present a potential for repairing bone defects and forms films that adhere to metal surfaces. Titanium, despite being a material greatly employed in implants because of its excellent physical properties, does not present bioactive characteristics, making it necessary to use methods of surface modification to enhance its biological response, favoring bone formation. This work aims at studying commercially pure titanium (cp-Ti) coating with chitosan using the biomimetic method and the evaluation of the effects of process variables as substrate surface conditions. Subsequently, the incorporation of AgNO3 was studied and its effects on corrosion resistance were evaluated. To evaluate the coating process, several tests were conducted, such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. From the results obtained, the efficacy of the chitosan film in inhibiting the corrosion of the metals is concluded, which was the target of this study, thus justifying its use for osseointegration and in several implants.

Commercial purity titanium (cp-Ti), and some of its alloys are important materials in the medical field because of their excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Recently a simple chemical method to induce bioactivity in these inert metallic materials was reported. In this work, the biomimetic chemical process has been used to modify the surface of cp-Ti with the formation of a deposit layer of apatite (a calcium phosphate compound). The main purpose was to study the influence of heat treatment on changes in crystallinity in the deposited phases. X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy showed that the apatite coatings heat treated between 400 and 600 °C were less crystalline, similar to biological apatites. Upon heat treatment at temperatures above 700 °C, the apatite coatings appeared more crystalline, and were a mixture of hydroxyapatite, octacalcium phosphate and magnesium phosphate.

Investigou-se o comportamento de juntas soldadas de uma liga a base de ouro utilizada na confecção de próteses odontológicas sobre implantes antes e após ser submetida ao processo de soldagem a laser. Constatou-se que houve uma mudança estrutural na região da solda e esta apresentou uma microestrutura dendrítica refinada e o metal base uma microestrutura granular bifásica com maior dureza e presença de precipitados de Au. Os ensaios eletroquímicos, em meio aerado de NaCl 0,15 molL-1 à temperatura ambiente, que simula as condições do ambiente oral, demonstraram que a junta soldada apresentou melhor desempenho frente à corrosão quando comparada ao metal base; provavelmente devida a estrutura metalúrgica desta região.

In this work, welded Au alloy joints, used for prosthesis supported by implants, have been studied before and after to laser welding processes. A refined dendritic microstructure was observed in the welding area. The base metal exhibited a two-phase granular microstructure with larger hardness and the appearance of Au precipitate. The electrochemical experiments, in NaCl 0,15 mol.L-1 solution at room temperature, which are appropriate to simulate corrosion at oral environment conditions, showed that the joint has a better performance when compared to base metal; probably due to the metallurgical structure in the region.