Apatite Formation on Electrochemically Treated Titanium

A titanium oxide gel was electrochemically prepared on Ti with a cell consisting of Ti as the working electrode, Pt as the counter one, AgCl as the reference one, and an aqueous solution of 0.1 mol/L Ca(NO(3))(2) as the electrolyte solution. The Ti electrode was kept at 9.5V for 1 hr for oxidation and subsequently kept at-3.0V for 10 min (Ca9.5-3.0):calcium ions were expected to be adsorbed at the latter treatment. Other Ti specimen was kept at -3.0V for 10 min (Ca-3.0). Both specimens were found so bioactive as to deposit apatite in 12 hr (Ca9.5-3.0) and in 1 day (Ca-3.0) when soaked in a simulated body fluid (Kokubo solution). Calcium carbonate detected on the surface of Ca9.5-3.0 caused no harmful effects on spontaneous deposition of apatite in the fluid.