Slip Casting Used as a Forming Technique for Hydroxyapatite Processing

摘要

Ceramic materials have particular properties when compared to other classes of materials, exhibiting poor ductility as an example. Slip casting is a widely used ceramic forming technique, and already established in the literature and in the ceramic industry. This study aims to present slip casting as a processing route for producing hydroxyapatite (HA) struts, and show the thermal phase stability. The ceramic suspension was produced and stabilized with hydroxyapatite powder, deionized water and polyethylene glycol 400. The slip was poured into gypsum mold. The green bodies were heat treated at 900 and 1100°C. Hydroxyapatite was the only phase present in all samples, before and after heat treatments. Density measurements showed that the densification was higher for the ceramic bodies sintered at 1100°C, when compared to the ones calcined at 900°C.