Wear and corrosion behaviour of nanocrystalline TaN, ZrN, and TaZrN coatings deposited on biomedical grade CoCrMo alloy

TaZrN coatings were synthesized directly on biomedical grade CoCrMo using radio-frequency magnetron co-sputtering. The mechanical properties, adhesion, wear, and corrosion resistance of the TaZrN coatings on the Cobalt alloy were assessed to determine their potential for hip joint replacement applications. The results indicate the TaZrN coatings are highly adhesive and have a nanocrystalline structure with a Hardness and Young's modulus of 19 GPa and 297 GPa, respectively. The TaZrN coatings showed a 3% lower wear rate of the polyethylene counterpart and an icorr value 274 times lower than the uncoated CoCrMo alloy. The excellent wear and corrosion resistance of the TaZrN coating suggest that it is a promising coating material for CoCrMo alloy to improve the lifetime of hip joint implants.