Nanosecond laser induced microstructure features and effects thereof on the wettability in zirconia

Zirconia are widely employed as a bone-substitute material for surgical implants due to its biocompatible and mechanical properties. However, implants introduced into the human undergo detachment from the host tissue due to poor biological performance. The laser-texturing can enhance the biological performance of the surface by altering surface properties and maintaining the bulk properties of the zirconia. In this work, laser-texturing microstructure features on zirconia are carried out to modify surface characteristics. Wettability are evaluated through water contact angles (WCAs) measurements. To characterize the influence of laser-texturing on pattern morphology, the produced surfaces are measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Micro cracks with melted material flowing along the scanning tracks in the untreated areas were observed from SEM. XRD results, in turn, show that the tetragonal → monoclinic phase transformation leads to many tiny cracks around the transformed particles. Wettability can be attributed to the modifications of the surface's microstructure depending on laser parameters and chemical composition. The stability tests prove that the super-hydrophobic surfaces produced by laser-texturing possess good abrasion resistance. This work may provide a simple method for producing zirconia surfaces with controlled wettability with the proper choice of laser parameter for extremely extensive industrial applications.