Clinical trials conducted in many centres worldwide indicate that, despite advances made in the use of biomaterials for medical applications, tribocorrosive wear remains a significant issue. The release of wear residue into body fluids can cause inflammation and, as a result, implant failure. Surface modification is one of the methods used to improve the mechanical, tribological, and fatigue properties of biomaterials. In this article, the authors investigated the impact of ion implantation on improving the functional properties of implant surfaces. This paper presents morphology, geometric surface structure, hardness, and tribological test results for layers obtained by ion implantation with nitrogen and oxygen ions on alloy 316L. The surface morphology and thickness of the implanted layer were examined using scanning microscopy. Atomic force microscopy was used to evaluate the geometric structure of the surface. Instrumented indentation was used to measure nanohardness. Model tribo tests were carried out for reciprocating motion under conditions of dry friction and lubricated friction with Ringer’s solution. The tribological tests showed that the implanted samples had a lower wear than the reference samples. Nitrogen ion implantation increased the hardness of 316L steel by about 45% and increased it by about 15% when oxygen ions were used.

A combination of coating deposition and consequent ion implantation could be beneficial in wear-resistant antifriction surface design and modification. In the present paper, the effects of low-energy 60 keV Si-ion implantation on multinanolayered CrN/ZrN grown on a stainless-steel substrate have been investigated. Complementary experimental (X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry) and theoretical (first-principles) methods have been employed to investigate the structure, phase, and composition under a 1 × 10–17 cm–2 irradiation dose. This study has revealed a moderate radiation-tolerance of the CrN/ZrN system, with a 26 nm bilayer period, where the effective ion range after irradiation was below 110 nm. Within the ion range, a decrease in composition homogeneity and structure crystallinity has been found. Si negative ions have been distributed asymmetrically with peak concentrations (10 and 6%) occupying the interfaces between the CrN and ZrN layers. First-principles investigations of the CrN/ZrN(001) heterostructures were carried out to validate the experimental results, which showed that the alignment of Si-rich interfaces closer to chromium layers is a consequence of the lower substitution energy of CrN rather than ZrN. Thus, strong Si–Cr bindings and difference in displacement energies of ZrN and CrN have been attributed as the main factors in Si-rich interface formation. The pin-on-ball tribological test results have exposed the enhancement in wear resistance and the friction coefficient of nanoscale coating via amorphous Si particles descending from interfacial areas and acting as a third-body.

New classes of high-entropy alloys, which consist of at least 5 main elements with atomic concentrations 5-35 at.%, are under great interest in modern material science. It is also very important to explore the limits of resistance of high-entropy alloy nitrides to implantation by high-energy atoms. Structure and properties of nanostructured multicomponent (TiHfZrNbVTa)N coatings were investigated before and after ion implantation. We used the Rutherford backscattering, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy with local microanalysis, X-ray diffraction and nanoindentation for investigations. Due to the high-fluence ion implantation (N + , the fluence was 10 18 cm −2 ) a multiphase structure was formed in the surface layer of the coating. This structure consisted of amorphous, nanocrystalline and initial nanostructured phases with small sizes of nanograins. Two phases were formed in the depth of the coating: fcc and hcp (with a small volume fraction). Nitrogen concentration reached 90 at.% near the surface and decreased with the depth. Nanohardness of the as-deposited coatings varied from 27 to 34 GPa depending on the deposition conditions. However, hardness decreased to a value of 12 GPa of the depth of the projected range after ion implantation and increased to 23 GPa for deeper layers.

The article presents the analysis of the influence of ion implantation on the properties of titanium alloy used in biotribological systems. The object of the study was the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V implanted with nitrogen ions. Tribological model tests were carried out in combination with a sphere with Al2O3 – a Ti6Al4V alloy disc implanted with N+ ions. Experimental friction tests were carried out on pin-on-disc testers in conditions of technically dry conditions and in conditions of lubrication with the Ringer’s solution. The tests on the TRB tester were carried out in a swinging motion, while on the T-01 tester in a sliding movement. Friction coefficient and wear were determined for all tests. Surface morphology testing and chemical composition analyses were performed using the Jeol JSM-7100F scanning electron microscope, equipped with an EDS microanalyzer. Surface geometry measurements prior to and after tribological tests were performed on a Taylor Hobson’s Talysurf CCI contactless optical profilometer. The optical tensiometer was used to determine the contact angles with demineralized water and Ringer’s solution. The tribological tests of the titanium alloy Ti6Al4V lead to the conclusion that implantation of N+ ions results in better tribological properties of the alloy. The best tribological characteristics were obtained for a titanium alloy implanted with nitrogen ions under technically dry friction conditions. The influence of the tribological system on Ringer’s fluid influenced the reduction of coefficients of friction in the oscillating movement (Tribometer TRB) and sliding motion (Tester T-01M). In the case of a oscillating movement, higher wear of the tested friction pair was observed under friction conditions with the Ringer solution lubrication.

The article is devoted to the assessment of the geometrical structure of the surface as well as the mechanical and tribological properties of the surface layers obtained in the process of ion implantation. The titanium alloy Ti6Al4V used in biotribological systems was implanted with nitrogen and argon ions. Investigations of the geometrical structure of the surface before and after the tribological tests were carried out using confocal microscopy. The hardness of the tested materials was determined by the instrumental indentation method using a Vickers indenter. A nanotribometer was used for tribological tests. The tests were carried out in a reciprocating motion under conditions of technically dry friction and friction with the lubrication of Ringer's solution. SEM scanning microscopy was used to determine the width of the wear pattern and the wear mechanism. The conducted research showed that the hardness of the tested materials increased as a result of ion implantation. The tribological tests showed that the use of ion implantation improves the tribological properties, and the dominant wear mechanism was abrasive wear.