Invited Speaker

Abstract: Implants made of metallic biomaterials have been used for over 100 years and it will continue to be central to medical applications because of their unique properties compared to those of other classes of materials. However, a major worry with metallic materials is their susceptibility to corrosion, wear and low osseointegration capabilities. Thus, the common solution was to coat the surface of metallic implants by biocompatible coatings such as hydroxyapatite. The coating followed only for a very thin layer and it did not affect the original mechanical properties of the metallic biomaterials. Usually, the hydroxyapatite should offer sufficient mechanical strength until the completion of the healing process. Hydroxyapatite possesses many advantages as biomaterials with outstanding osseoconductivity and bioactivity, and faster integration with host bone tissues. Thus, the aim of the present paper is the show a part of the group results about the preparation of hydroxyapatite coatings using RF magnetron sputtering. We have also proposed to improve the mechanical properties by the SiC addition and antibacterial abilities by Ag addition into hydroxyapatite matrix.

Biography: Dr. Eng. Alina Vladescu, has a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University Politehnica of Bucharest (2002) and an MS in Biomaterials from the Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, University Politehnica of Bucharest (2004). Her PhD however is in Materials Science from University Politehnica of Bucharest (2011). She works at National Institute for Optoelectronics, Department for Advanced Surface Processing and Analysis by Vacuum Technologies. She is also associate professor in Surface Engineering at University Politehnica of Bucharest. She is also affiliated as research scientist at National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University.

Expertise: • Functional coatings (metals, nitrides, carbides, oxides and oxynitrides) deposited by magnetron sputtering and cathodic arc techniques), especially for optics, optoelectronics, mechanical and tribological applications, but also with special properties, such as corrosion resistant and biomaterials. • Oxide thin films by electron gun evaporation technique, especially for optoelectronics applications and (again) for biomaterials. • Analysis and characterization of thin films using various spectroscopies (UV-Vis-NIR, EDS), X-ray diffraction, morphological, mechanical, anticorrosion and tribological characterization.

Reviewer for ISI journals: •Surface and Coating Technology; •Thin Solid Films; •RSC Advances; •Applied Surface Science; •Vacuum; Materials Science and Engineering B.

Guest Editor: Frontiers in Materials (2016-2017), Composite Interfaces (2016), Coatings (2019-2021).

Consequently, she has over 113 technical publications and presentations, 10 patents, 3 books. Most of these articles have involved the surface biofunctionalization of metallic components of the biomedical devices by PVD deposition methods. In general, these articles have primarily proved that both PVD techniques (reactive magnetron sputtering and vacuum cathodic arc) represent a valuable choice for coating the metallic femoral heads, determining the increase of their service-life. Up to date she was involved in the investigation and assessment of various types of coatings, such as: nitrides, carbides, carbonitrides, oxynitrides or oxides, in mono and multilayered structures.