Identification and mapping of the amorphous phase in plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings using scanning cathodoluminescence microscopy.

The presence and distribution of the amorphous phase is a key factor in the performance and bone-bonding behavior of plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings. Microanalysis of coatings was conducted with microprobe Raman and scanning cathodoluminescence microscopy. It was confirmed that the darker regions in polished cross sections represent the amorphous phase. The more intense cathodoluminescence emission from the amorphous phase during electron-beam irradiation compared with the crystalline phase was used to detect the two structurally different areas within the sample. By selecting the peak of the emission at 450 nm it was possible to raster the surface with the electron beam and produce a map of the amorphous phase in polished sections, a fracture surface and an as-sprayed surface of the plasma-sprayed coating. Cathodoluminescence microscopy, based on the different light emission from the amorphous phase and hydroxyapatite, is a useful tool for identifying and mapping of the amorphous-phase constituent in plasma-sprayed coatings.