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EnBIO can modify the properties of Titanium (and other metals) by treating the surface with dopants which are inherently difficult to apply using our novel surface modification technology (CoBlastTM).
The applications for such a fundamental technology have a variety of non-biomedical applications, including:
EnBIO’s CoBlast process is non-complex, room temperature and requires no wet chemistry. The process is in fact a novel variation of grit-blasting and the CoBlast processing equipment is essentially a modified version of standard grit blasting equipment—a well-established and simple surface modification process.
While our business is focused on exploiting the technology in the area of medical implants the technology has applications in the space program and aerospace industry including:
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Improving the wear resistance and surface hardness of titanium and its alloys (Cobalt Chrome, Nitinol, Stainless Steels, etc.)
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Applying a thermal barrier coating to titanium and its alloys with an adhesive layer to prevent delamination. This also increases the operating temperature
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Making the surface of titanium perfectly black via the addition of black pigment directly into the surface (for black body applications)
In general, the CoBlast technology comprises a novel method for impregnating or coating surfaces of reactive metals by simultaneously bombarding/grit blasting the metal surface with a stream of grit (which churns up the metal surface, removes the metal oxide, and exposes the reactive metal underneath) and a stream of the dopant material. The exposed metal will reform an oxide layer using the oxygen from the atmosphere within a few 100ms. However, the dopant is being blasted at high energy onto the surface resulting tribochemical bonding of the dopant to the surface—before the oxide layer has a chance to re-grow. In addition, the oxide layer grows around the dopant resulting in additional mechanical interlocking of the dopant onto the surface. The dopant is integrated into the metallic surface and becoming an inherent part of the metal itself.
The benefits of the process and resultant surface are as follows:
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A novel process for applying a range of dopant materials to the surface of titanium alloys which traditionally are difficult to apply, or cannot be applied.
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The process is compatible with a wide range of dopants:
Tested substrates: Titanium, Cobalt Chrome, Nitinol, Steel, Copper, Stainless Steels
Tested dopants: Hydroxyapatite, Substituted Apatites (Fl, Mg, Ag, Zn, Sr, Carbonate), Bioglass, Substituted Bioglass (Sr, Ag), Teflon, Carbon Pyrolytic, Tungsten Disulphide, Molybdenum Disulphide, Graphite, Boron Carbide, Silicon Carbide, Tungsten Carbide, Artificial Diamond, Zirconia
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The adhesion of the dopant to the metal surface is very strong and will not delaminate. In fact, the results of all standard tensile and shear tests have exceeded expectations.
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Room temperature process; low cost process
EnBIO is actively seeking partnerships to further develop these technologies for space/aerospace based applications.
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