Phase Transition from α-TCP into β-TCP in TCP/HA Composites

The phase transition from α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) into β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) in tricalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite (TCP/HA) composites was investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and scanning electron microscopy in this study. The current experimental results indicated that the calcining temperature for the complete phase transition from α-TCP into β-TCP increased with the increasing HA content in the composite. HA/β-TCP biphasic composites with initial Ca/P molar ratios of 1.571, 1.600 and 1.636 were synthesized. The particle coarsening occurred significantly in the process of calcination.     

Properties of calcium phosphates ceramic composites derived from natural materials

In this study, ceramics containing mixed phases of hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP) were fabricated by a solid-state reaction technique. The HA powder was synthesized from cockle shells while the β-TCP powder was synthesized from egg shells. Pure HA and β-TCP fine powders were successfully obtained. The HA and β-TCP were mixed and subjected to a thermal treatment up to 1100 °C. To form the mixed phase ceramics, the resulting powders were sintered at 1350 °C. Effects of HA concentration on the properties of the studied ceramic were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all samples presented multiphase of calcium phosphate compounds. Average grain size of the ceramics decreased with the HA additive content. The 75 wt% HA ceramic showed the maximum hardness value (5.5 GPa) which is high when compared with many calcium phosphate ceramics. In vitro bioactivity test indicated that apatite forming increased with the HA additive content. To increase antibacterial activity, selected ceramics were coated with AgNO₃. Antibacterial test suggested that an Ag compound coating on the ceramics could improve the antibacterial ability of the studied ceramics. In addition, the antibacterial ability for the Ag coated ceramics depended on the porosity of the ceramics.     

Effects of strontium substitution on the phase transformation and crystal structure of calcium phosphate derived by chemical precipitation

This study focused on the effects of strontium substitution on the phase transformation and crystal structure of calcium phosphate. Chemical precipitation was used to prepare Sr-doped hydroxyapatite (HA) precursor powders. The phase transformation of the as-prepared samples during sintering was analyzed. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis of the phase content and fine structure was performed by Rietveld refinement. Sr doping was found to facilitate the phase transformation from HA to beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) at 1000 °C. The β-TCP content increased with increasing Sr content, causing a decline in the ratio of HA to β-TCP. With Sr contents of ≤5 mol%, HA remained the major phase in the biphasic mixtures; in contrast, with Sr contents of ≥15 mol%, the mass fraction of β-TCP exceeded 50%. The incorporation of Sr²⁺ into HA and β-TCP caused the lattice parameters of both phases to increase. Additionally, Sr incorporation slightly enhanced the binding energy of Ca. The study confirmed that Sr doping could be used to modulate the phase fractions of HA and β-TCP. The effective partial substitution of Sr in both HA and β-TCP makes these materials promising for bone repair.     

医用双相磷酸钙陶瓷的制备工艺研究

医用双相磷酸钙（BCP）陶瓷是β-磷酸三钙（β-TCP）和羟基磷灰石（HA）的复合体,其成分与骨矿物组成类似。它具有良好的生物相容性,在生物医学领域具有非常广阔的应用前景。且在生理环境下能发生不同程度的降解,被组织吸收。通过化学沉淀法制备纳米羟基磷灰石,然后通过可溶性钙盐和磷酸盐反应工艺制得β-磷酸三钙,最后将二者进行机械复合而制得双相磷酸钙,将所得样品用X射线衍射仪（XRD）进行了表征。结果显示：所得的双相磷酸钙中掺杂有β-焦磷酸钙,但是它的结晶较好,并且可以改善双相磷酸钙陶瓷的力学性能。     

Calcium phosphate bioceramics synthesized from eggshell powders through a solid state reaction

Everyday millions of tons of eggshells are produced as biowaste around the world. Most of this waste is disposed of in landfills without any pretreatment. Eggshells in landfills produce odors and promote microbial growth as they biodegrade. The present invention provides an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective method of producing calcium phosphate bioceramics (hydroxyapatite or tricalcium phosphate) from eggshell waste. In this investigation, heat treatment produced solid state reactions between eggshell powders and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (CaHPO₄·2H₂O, DCPD) or calcium pyrophosphate (Ca₂P₂O₇). When eggshell powders (CaO) and DCPD were heat treated at 1150 °C for 3 h, only a single hydroxyapatite (HA) phase was found; no diffraction peaks of starting materials and no β-TCP were observed. The XRD patterns of the product fabricated from raw eggshell powders (CaCO₃) and Ca₂P₂O₇ heat treated at 1100 °C for 3 h showed that almost only pure β-TCP remained with a trace amount of HA. The calcium phosphate ceramic synthesized from eggshell powders contains several important trace elements such as Na, Mg and Sr.     

医用双相磷酸钙陶瓷的制备工艺研究

医用双相磷酸钙（BCP）陶瓷是β-磷酸三钙（β-TCP）和羟基磷灰石（HA）的复合体,其成分与骨矿物组成类似,在生理环境下能发生不同程度的降解,被组织吸收。通过化学沉淀法制备纳米羟基磷灰石,然后通过可溶性钙盐和磷酸盐反应工艺制得的β-磷酸三钙,最后将二者进行机械复合而制得双相磷酸钙,将所得样品用X射线衍射仪（XRD）对样品进行了表征。结果显示：所得的双相磷酸钙中掺杂有β-焦磷酸钙,但是它的结晶较好,并且可以改善双相磷酸钙陶瓷的力学性能。     

多孔双相钙磷钛合金微弧氧化膜层的制备及生物相容性

为克服钛合金生物膜层单一相的缺陷,以Ti6A14V合金为基体,用微弧氧化法制得具有双相钙磷复合陶瓷膜层(BCP)的钛合金器件.通过控制工作液成分制得由不同比例的β-磷酸三钙(β-TCP)和羟基磷灰石(HA)组成的多孔性复合膜层.研究了电源占空比对BCP膜孔隙率和孔径大小的影响.采用能谱仪和X射线衍射仪分析了BCP膜层的...     

Properties of hydroxyapatite/zirconium oxide nanocomposites

Effects of zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) nanoparticles additive on the microstructure and physical properties of hydroxyapatite (HA) were investigated. The HA powder was derived from natural bovine bone by a sequence of thermal processes. The composites containing nanoparticles of ZrO₂ (0.2–1.0 vol%) were fabricated by a solid-state reaction mixed oxide method. All samples showed traces of HA, beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and alpha-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) phases while the x≥0.1 samples also showed ZrO₂ phase. Amount of β-TCP and α-TCP phases tend to decrease with ZrO₂. The additive inhibited grain growth as a result of a decrease in grain size. However, the x=0.2 sample exhibited higher hardness value which is consistent with the density data. In addition, bioactivity test suggested that the additive promoted an apatite forming with the values of Ca/P close to the value obtained from HA.     

Effects of powder stoichiometry on the sintering of β-tricalcium phosphate

The impact of weak stoichiometry variations on β-TCP sintering behaviour was studied. β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) powders were synthesised by chemical precipitation through aqueous solution of diammonium phosphate and calcium nitrate. Excess or deficiency of nitrate salt leads to compositions with Ca/P ratios below or over 1.5. These powders, calcined at various temperatures (800–950 °C), were shaped by slip casting process and sintered at 1100 °C. The microstructure, phase composition, specific surface area and density of powders and sintered compacts were analysed by SEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, Archimedes methods and dilatometry.This study shows that the presence of calcium pyrophosphate or the hydroxyapatite phases affects considerably the physical characteristics of the β-TCP powders and in particular specific surface area and consequently their sinterability.A precise determination of the β-TCP chemical composition after synthesis allows to adapt the calcination temperature of the raw powder in order to obtain a maximum densification of the compact. The beneficial role of small quantity of HA phase inside β-TCP powder on their sinterability was also shown in this work.     

Preparation and characterisation of HA/TCP biphasic porous ceramic scaffolds with pore-oriented structure

Porous hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) ceramic scaffolds with a uniform unidirectional pore structure were successfully fabricated by an ice-templating method by using Ca-deficient HA whiskers and phosphate bioglass. HA whiskers showed good dispersibility in the slurry and favoured the formation of interconnected pores in the scaffolds. Addition of bioglass powders enhanced the material sintering process and the phase transformation of Ca-deficient HA to β-TCP. Calcium-phosphate-based scaffolds with a composition from HA to an HA/β-TCP complex could be obtained by controlling the freezing moulding system and slurry composition. The fabricated scaffolds had a porosity of 75–85%, compressive strength of 0.5–1.0 MPa, and a pore size range of 130–200 µm.     

A Novel Biphasic Bone Scaffold: β-Calcium Phosphate and Amorphous Calcium Polyphosphate

Calcium polyphosphate (CPP) was added to hydroxyapatite (HA) to develop a novel biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP). The effects of varying CPP dosage on the sintering property, the mechanical strength, and the phase compositions of HA were investigated. Results showed that CPP reacted with HA and produced β-calcium phosphate (β-TCP) and H₂O and that an excessive dosage of CPP (>10 wt%) obtained a novel BCP of β-TCP/amorphous-CPP, while a lesser dosage of CPP (<10 wt%) obtained a traditional BCP (HA/β-TCP). The porous β-TCP/amorphous-CPP scaffolds (porosity of 66.7%, pore diameter of 150–450 μm, and compressive strength of 6.70±1.5 MPa) were fabricated and their in vitro degradation results showed a significant improvement of degradation with the addition of CPP.     

Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate nanocomposites using microwave irradiation

Microwave assisted synthesis method is a relatively new approach employed to decrease synthesis time and form a more homogenous structure in biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramics. In this study, nanocrystalline HA/β-TCP composites were prepared by microwave assisted synthesis method and, for comparison reason, by conventional wet chemical methods. The chemical and phase composition, morphology and particle size of powders were characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM, respectively. The use of microwave irradiation resulted in improved crystallinity. The amount of hydroxyapatite phase in BCP ranged from 5% to 17%. The assessment of bioactivity was done by soaking of powder compacts in simulated body fluid (SBF). The decreasing pH of the solution in the presence of β-TCP indicated its biodegradable behavior. Rod-like hydroxyapatite particles were newly formed during the treatment in SBF for microwave assisted substrate synthesis. In contrast, globular particles precipitate under same conditions if BCP substrates were synthesized using conventional wet chemical methods.     

The biological properties of carbon nanofibers decorated with β-tricalcium phosphate nanoparticles

Carbon nanofibers decorated with β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) nanoparticles (β-TCP/CNFs) have been prepared by sintering electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers with calcium nitrate tetrahydrate as the calcium source and triethyl phosphate as the phosphorus source. Microstructure and phase composition analysis indicate that the resulting materials are composed of β-TCP nanoparticles and CNFs. And the long β-TCP/CNFs can be cut into organism-eliminable short CNFs gradually in hydrochloric acid solution due to the solubilization of β-TCP nanoparticles. The materials exhibit good biocompatibility, and have comparable effect on cell growth with pure CNFs, with their tuning ability in degradation.     

Synthesis of calcium phosphate-based composite nanopowders by mechanochemical process and subsequent thermal treatment

One-step mechanochemical process followed by thermal treatment has been used to produce calcium phosphate-based composite nanopowders. Effects of milling and subsequent heat treatment on the phase transition as well as structural features were investigated. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The results revealed that the dominant phases after mechanical activation were hydroxyapatite, anatase (TiO₂), and periclase (MgO), while after thermal annealing process at 700 °C hydroxyapatite along with geikielite (MgTiO₃) and periclase (MgO) were the major phases. In addition, decomposition of hydroxyapatite to tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) occurred after heat treatment in the range 900–1100 °C which resulted in the formation of tricalcium phosphate-based composite nanopowders. Evaluation of structural features of the samples calculated by X-ray diffraction profiles analysis indicated that the average crystallite size of hydroxyapatite after 10 h of milling and subsequent heat treatment at 700 °C were about 21 and 34 nm, respectively. TEM and SEM studies exhibited that the considerable morphological changes at temperatures ≥900 °C had to be ascribed not only to grain growth, but also for the transformation of hydroxyapatite to β-TCP.     

Research of phase transformation induced biodegradable properties on hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate based bioceramic

Biodegradable calcium phosphate composites consisting of tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were prepared using a two-step sintering method. The ratio of α-TCP/HA was controlled by modulating the sintering temperature. The initial calcination process at 800 °C causes HA dehydroxylation and induces the early transformation of HA into α-TCP in subsequent sintering processes. At the optimum sintering temperature of 1300 °C, the material is comprised of a moderate ratio of α-TCP to HA (3:7) and possesses a hardness of 5.0 GPa. The high temperature phase transformation from HA to α-TCP accompanied by bonded water loss, which results in the formation of nano-pores within the α-TCP matrix, hardly deteriorated the mechanical strength of the composite. This pore-containing structure also provided a convincing evidence for the origin of the high degradability of α-TCP in a biological environment.     

The preparation and characterization of HA/β-TCP biphasic ceramics from fish bones

The aim of this research is to observe the physicochemical characterization and evaluate the biocompatibility of the HA/β-TCP biphasic calcium phosphate ceramics (BCP) produced from fish bones. In addition, the mechanism of the formation of BCP after calcination of fish bones was discussed. Three kinds of fish bones (Salmo salar, Anoplopoma fimbria and Sardine) were prepared and calcined for one hour at different temperatures ranging from 600 °C to 1100 °C in a muffle furnace. The calcined bones were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (GTA), inductively coupled plasma optical atom emissions spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro cytotoxicity assessment was used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the biphasic ceramics. BCP materials were produced from all kinds of fish bones by calcination above 700 °C, the carbonated hydroxyapatite and multiple trace element were also found in the calcined bones. With the increase of temperature, the ratio of HA/β-TCP varied and the major organic components were progressively removed. The carbonated hydroxyapatite disappeared when temperature rises above 900 °C. Rising temperature also caused crystal growth that eventually gave rise to the increase of the BCP grain size and influenced the mesoporous structure. The BCP materials were confirmed to have no obvious cytotoxicity to mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in the in vitro cytotoxicity assessment. Calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite(CDHA) may make up the major inorganic constituent of fish bones that could decompose to HA and β-TCP when calcined above 700 °C. 800–900 °C is considered to be the optimal temperature to fabricate BCP materials which contain more β-TCP, carbonated hydroxyapatite and retain distinct mesoporous structure while has good biocompatibility. With the unique composition and structure, these three kinds of fish-bone-derived BCP materials can be further applied to fabricate bioceramic scaffolds for biomedical applications.     

Improvements in phase stability and densification of β-tricalcium phosphate bioceramics by strontium-containing phosphate-based glass additive

β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), which transforms to α-TCP at around 1125?°C, is characterized by poor sinterability. In this study, for the first time strontium-containing phosphate-based glass (SPG) was used as a sintering additive for β-TCP, which was sintered at 1250?°C. The results indicated that the SPG additive allowed for liquid-state sintering of β-TCP, thereby noticeably promoting the densification of β-TCP bioceramics. In the sintering process SPG reacted with β-TCP, and the metal ions from SPG were substituted for the calcium ions of β-TCP. The SPG additive effectively inhibited the phase transformation of β-TCP to α-TCP in the bioceramics. The compressive strength of porous β-TCP bioceramics was markedly increased by introducing 10?wt% SPG. The SPG is considered as an effective sintering additive to improve the phase stability and mechanical strength of porous β-TCP bioceramics.     

Preparation and characterization of porous calcium-phosphate microspheres

Porous calcium-phosphate bioceramics are very important materials in bone tissue engineering. Recently, microsphere systems have been widely utilized in the treatment of defective tissues, including bone, cartilage and muscle. In this study, porous calcium-phosphate microspheres were prepared from calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (d-HA) powders through a water-in-oil emulsion technique using camphene as the porogen and subsequently sintered at 700, 1100, 1200, or 1400 °C for 6 h. The microspheres produced in this study were characterized according to their morphology, properties, and biodegradation. The results indicated an interconnected porous structure with pore sizes ranging between several microns to as large as 250 μm. Approximately 35–50% of the pores were larger than 100 μm. In the microspheres sintered at 700 °C (Sample H), only the hydroxyapatite (HA) phase was present; when heated to 1100 °C (Sample BH), β-TCP was observed with HA; at 1200 °C (Sample ABH), the phase compositions included β-TCP and α-TCP, as well as a small quantity of HA; and at 1400 °C (Sample AH), the phases of samples included mainly α-TCP and HA. The degradation of the scaffolds was evaluated after immersion in distilled water for up to 28 days. Obvious dissolution and precipitation behavior was seen in the samples ABH and AH. The precipitates formed on the surface of ABH and AH could be carbonate-containing calcium-deficient HA (carbonated-CDHA) after immersion in distilled water for 28 days.     

Effect of the HA/β-TCP Ratio on the Biological Performance of Calcium Phosphate Ceramic Coatings Fabricated by a Room-Temperature Powder Spray in Vacuum

Four calcium phosphate ceramic coatings, the less soluble hydroxyapatite (HA) coating, the more soluble β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) coating, and two biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) coatings with HA/β-TCP ratios of 70/30 and 30/70 were fabricated by spraying each corresponding powder onto a titanium substrate at room temperature (RT) in a vacuum, in order to investigate the effect of the HA/β-TCP ratio on the dissolution behavior and the cellular responses of the coating. No secondary phases, except for HA and β-TCP, were observed for the coatings in the X-ray diffraction results. The coating compositions were almost the same as those of the starting powders because the coating was conducted at RT. Microscopic examination of the coatings revealed crack-free and dense microstructures. The BCP coatings exhibited dissolution rates intermediate between those of the pure HA and β-TCP coatings. The dissolution rate of the coatings was largely dependent on their HA/β-TCP ratio. The cell proliferation and differentiation results indicated that the cellular responses of the coatings were not proportional to their dissolution rates. The 3HA–7TCP (HA/β-TCP ratio of 30/70) coating exhibited an optimal dissolution rate for excellent biological performance.     

Fabrication of dense and porous biphasic calcium phosphates: Effect of dispersion on sinterability and microstructural development

The particle size distribution of a commercial Mg-doped hydroxyapatite powder was tailored through two different milling procedures, carried out under wet or dry conditions. Wet milling gave rise to finer particles, with a narrower size distribution. Tailoring the particles size was the key to produce homogeneous gelcast green bodies, as well as fully dense and fine microstructures. In fact, wet-milled samples achieved full densification and compressive strength of about 300 MPa, five times higher than the values achieved by the dry milled samples. During the calcination treatments, HA progressively decomposed into β- and α-TCP phases, promoted by the progressive Mg²⁺ substitution inside the HA and β-TCP lattices. As a result, a biphasic (HA/β-TCP) calcium phosphate ceramic was successfully obtained. Gelcast macroporous materials were prepared by direct foaming, starting from both milled powders. Highly porous samples (73%-77% porosity) with a high degree of interconnectivity within pores were successfully produced. However, dry milled-foamed materials were characterized by a significant residual porosity within the struts, whereas in wet-milled foams struts and pore windows were highly compact, the key to provide sufficient mechanical strength to such highly porous open-cell foams, thus suggesting a possible use as implantable scaffolds.