Preparation of hydroxyapatite/poly(methyl methacrylate) and calcium silicate/poly(methyl methacrylate) interpenetrating hybrid composites

Hydroxyapatite/poly(methyl methacrylate) (HAp/PMMA) and calcium silicate/poly(methyl methacrylate) (CS/PMMA) composites were prepared by interpenetrating bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer in porous structures of HAp and CS. The porous HAp and CS templates were prepared by mixing their calcined powders with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution, shaping by uniaxial pressing and then firing at 1,100 °C for HAp and 900 °C for CS. The templates were soaked in the solution mixture of MMA monomer and 0.1 mol% of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) for 24 h. The pre-composites were then bulk polymerized at 85 °C for 24 h under nitrogen atmosphere. The microstructures of the composites showed the interpenetrating of PMMA into the porous HAp and CS structures. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the PMMA content in the HAp/PMMA and CS/PMMA composites were 13 and 26 wt%, respectively. Weight average molecular weights ( ) of PMMA were about 491,000 for HAp/PMMA composites and about 348,000 for CS/PMMA composites. Compressive strengths of these composites were about 90–131 MPa in which they were significantly higher than their starting porous templates.