Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment on Sinterability of Hydroxyapatite

摘要

Calcium hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2:HA, is the inorganic principle component of natural bones and teeth. It has been already suggested that the amount of OH ion in the crystal structure of HA is closely related to the biocompatibility. The amount of OH ion in current HA, however, has not been controlled. In order to prepare more functional HA ceramics, the amount of OH ion must be controlled. In this study, HA ceramics with different OH amount were prepared from fine HA crystals by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Fine powder of HA was treated hydrothermally at 200 °C for 24 h with pH 10 NH3 aqueous solution. The samples were pressed uniaxialy under 60 MPa, and then they were SPS at 800 °C, 900 °C and 1000 °C for 10 min with the heating rate of 25 °C·min–1. No phases other than HA were revealed by XRD for the starting samples after hydrothermal treatment and samples after sintering by SPS at 800 °C, 900 °C and 1000 °C for 10 min. The quantity of OH ion in HA ceramics sintered by SPS was decreased with increasing temperature of sintering. Transparent HA ceramics were prepared by SPS at 900 °C and 1000 °C.