EFFECT OF STARCH BINDERS IN ALUMINA COATINGS ON AISI 316 L STAINLESS STEEL FOR MEDICAL APPLICATION

A slurry immersion technique of alumina coatings was carried out on several AISI 316 L stainless steels using two types of binding agents; commercial starch and Sarawakian starch (sago), which were also mixed with polyvinylchloride (PVA) for strengthening purposes. The sintering temperatures in this work were varied from 500 to 1000 degrees C. Prior to sintering process, all stainless steels were metallographically ground and polished to approximately 0.6 mu m of average roughness. Detailed characterisations on the sintered specimens were carried out with the aid of the secondary electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness and a profilometer. The results revealed that coated steels using sago binder showed improved adhesion and homogenous microstructures with greater hardness of 2642 HV than those found in coated steel with commercial starch after sintering process.