METHOD FOR THE TEXTURING OF SURFACES BY AQUEOUS PLASMA ELECTROLYSIS

摘要

A method for producing a roughened or textured layer on a surface such as a metal or an alloy using aqueous plasma electrolysis. In this process continuous arc-discharges are established and maintained in an electrolyte flowing between two electrodes, one of which is the workpiece to be treated. The treatment process can be performed discretely (one piece at a time) or continuously (reel to reel). The texturing is produced by the action of the arc-discharge processes resulting in localized melted areas on the workpiece's surface. The melted areas subsequently solidify creating a new topological configuration on the workpiece. By altering the electrolysis parameters, e.g. the voltage, current, electrolyte composition, etc., surface texturing characteristics such as the dimensional scale and topological morphology can be varied. Surface texturing as described herein can be successfully utilized to markedly improve soft and hard tissue biological integration of in-vivo medical implants. A cellular type texture structure can also be used as a pharmaceutical depository for subsequent drug elution after in-vivo device implantation.