SURFACE TREATMENTS

SURFACE TREATMENTS

Ion Implantation

Modifies surface properties of a material using ion bombardment without adding a coating layer to the surface.

 

How Ion Implantation Works

Watch this video to understand how the ion implantation process works and learn more about the benefits.

Ion implantation is a highly controllable process for modifying physical and chemical surface properties of materials. Many surface properties can be improved with ion implantation including hardness, wear resistance, resistance to chemical attack, and reduced friction. The process can be applied to virtually any material, including most metals, ceramics and polymers.  Although it is a line-of-sight process, specialized fixturing is used to uniformly treat complex geometries.

Examples of components treated with ion implantation are Ti and Co-Cr orthopedic prostheses, which are made harder and more wear resistant, and silicone catheters, which are made less tacky and resistant to biofilm formation.

IonGuard®

N2’s proprietary IonGuard ion implantation process utilizes direct ion beam bombardment to create a hard, low friction, and hydrophilic surface without adding a coating layer to the surface or changing the bulk properties of the device. This low temperature process has been used to treat millions of medical device implants including metal knees and hips and orthodontic arch wires.

Femoral heads for hip implants treated with IonGuard.
Comparison of measured fretting wear depths for IonGuard treated and untreated Ti-6Al-4V test samples

Applications

  • Knee and hip implants
  • Extremities and shoulders
  • Fixation devices
  • Dental archwires
  • Catheters
  • Venous access

Benefits

  • Increases surface hardness
  • Reduces friction
  • Improves corrosion resistance
  • Enhances hydrophilicity

Representative Substrates

  • Titanium
  • Cobalt-chromium
  • Stainless steel
  • Silicone
  • Polyurethane

Receive our IonGuard Datasheet

The increasing awareness and growing concerns surrounding metal ion release and patient hypersensitivity reactions have renewed interest in titanium for orthopedic implants, such as knee, hip and extremity joint replacement. This datasheet covers features and benefits, applications, and the ion implantation process.

To Our Suppliers

n2biomedical

N2 Biomedical is ISO-13485 certified and FDA GMP-compliant. We are frequently audited by our customers, maintaining greater than 99.7% process yield with robust and evolved systems for control of processes.

For all inquiries relating to N2 suppliers, please contact Kevin Farley, Buyer at kfarley@n2bio.com or 781-917-3354