Bond strength of titanium to porcelain

Due to the pronounced oxidative nature of titanium at high temperatures, an excessively thick oxide layer may form on its surface. This oxide layer could adversely affect titanium-porcelain bonding. The aim of a new study was to investigate the effects of micro-arc oxidation on the titanium-porcelain bond strength which was relevant to the titanium oxide layer. Twelve cast titanium specimens were prepared following the protocol ISO 9693. The test group was treated with micro-arc oxidation and the control group was treated with sandblasting. Contact angle and surface roughness were detected. SEM, XRD, and SEM/EDS analyses were performed on the titanium surfaces to ascertain bond failure. The groups were compared for their bond strength. The results suggest that the micro-arc oxidation technique is significantly effective in improving the bond strength of titanium-porcelain.
The complete paper will appear in "Surface and Coatings Technology", Volume 204, Issue 8, 15 January 2010, Pages 1252-1258.