Abstract
The paper presents new results on the application of microplasma spraying technology to manufacture biomedical tantalum coatings. Robotic microplasma spraying of Ta-wire onto implants of elbow joints made of Ti alloy was performed using new software for the robot arm, and the possibility of forming Ta coatings with a specified thickness and porosity was demonstrated. The parameters of MPS for obtaining Ta coatings with a thickness of up to$500\ \mu\mathrm{m}$and with a pore size of 20 to$200\ \mu\mathrm{m}$were established. It was found that the microhardness of the microplasma Ta coating is on average 2 times higher than that of the Ti alloy substrate. The results are of significance for researchers developing thermal spray technologies for biocompatible coatings manufacturing.