Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite Biocomposites, Produced by an Alternative Sol-Gel Route

Martín A. Encinas-Romero, Jesús Peralta-Haley, Jesús L. Valenzuela-García, Felipe F. Castillón-Barraza

Centro de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología, Uni- versidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ensenada B.C., México..
Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Metalurgia, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, México;.
Posgrado en Ciencias de la Ingeniería: Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, México;.

DOI: 10.4236/jbnb.2013.44041                

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite is a type of calcium phosphate-based material with great interest for biomedical applications, due to the chemical similarity between this material and the mineral part of human bone. However, synthetic hydroxyapatite is essentially brittle; the practice indicates that the use of hydroxyapatite without additives for implant production is not efficient, due to its low strength parameters. In the present work, biocomposites of hydroxyapatite-wollastonite were synthesized by an alternative sol-gel route, using calcium nitrate and ammonium phosphate as precursors of hydroxyapatite, and high purity natural wollastonite was added in ratios of 20, 50 and 80 percent by weight immersed in aqueous medium. Formation of hydroxyapatite occurs at a relatively low temperature of about 350?C, while the wollastonite remains unreacted. After that, these biocomposites were sintered at 1200?C for 5 h to produce dense materials. The characterization techniques demonstrated the presence of hydroxyapatite and wollastonite as unique phases in all products.

Keywords

Hydroxyapatite; Wollastonite; Bioceramics; Biocomposites; Sol-Gel

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	L. L. Hench, “Bioceramics: From Concept to Clinic,” Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 74, No. 7, 1991, pp. 1487-1510. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1991.tb07132.x
[2]	R. Z. LeGeros, “Calcium Phosphate Materials in Restorative Dentistry: A Review,” Advances in Dental Research, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1998, pp. 164-180.
[3]	R. Z. LeGeros and J. P. LeGeros, “Dense Hydroxyapatite,” In: L. L. Hench and J. Wilson, Eds., An Introduction to Bioceramics, World Scientific, Singapore, 1993, pp. 139-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/9789814317351_0009
[4]	R. Petit, “The Use of Hydroxyapatite in Orthopaedic Surgery: A Ten-Year Review,” European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1999, pp. 71-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01695730
[5]	G. Bezzi, G. Celotti, E. Landi, T. M. G. La Torretta, I. Sopyan and A. Tampieri, “A Novel Sol-Gel Technique for Hydroxyapatite Preparation,” Materials Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 78, No. 3, 2003, pp. 816-824. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0254-0584(02)00392-9
[6]	M. A. Encinas-Romero, S. Aguayo-Salinas, S. J. Castillo, F. F. Castillón-Barraza and V. M. Castano, “Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite Composite Powders by Sol-Gel Processing,” International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2008, pp. 401-411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7402.2008.02212.x
[7]	M. A. Encinas-Romero, S. Aguayo-Salinas, J. L. Valenzuela-García, S. R. Payán and F. F. Castillón-Barraza, “Mechanical and Bioactive Behavior of Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite Sintered Composites,” International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2010, pp. 164-167. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7402.2009.02377.x
[8]	T. Kokubo, “A/W Glass-Ceramic: Processing and Properties,” In: L. L. Hench and J. Wilson, Eds., An Introduction to Bioceramics, World Scientific, Singapore, 1993, pp. 75-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/9789814317351_0005
[9]	M. J. Olszta, X. Cheng, S. S. Jee, R. Kumar, Y. Kim, M. J. Kaufman, E. Douglas and L. B. Gower, “Bone Structure and Formation: A New Perspective,” Materials Science and Engineering: R, Vol. 58, No. 3, 2007, pp. 77-116. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mser.2007.05.001
[10]	T. Yamamuro, “A/W Glass-Ceramic: Clinical Aplications,” In: L. L. Hench and J. Wilson, Eds., An Introduction to Bioceramics, World Scientific, Singapore, 1993, pp. 89-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/9789814317351_0006
[11]	S. M. Best, A. E. Porter, E. S. Thian and J. Huang, “Bioceramics: Past, Present and for the Future,” Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Vol. 28, No. 7, 2008, pp. 1319-1327. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2007.12.001
[12]	Y. E. Greish and P. W. Brown, “Characterization of Wollastonite-Reinforced Hap-Ca polycarboxylate Composites,” Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, Vol. 55, No. 4, 2001, pp. 618-628. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1097-4636(20010615)55:4<618::AID-JBM1056>3.0.CO;2-9
[13]	V. V. Shumkova, V. M. Pogrebenkov, A. V. Karlov, V. V. Kozik and V. I. Vereshchagin, “Hydroxyapatite-Wollastonite Bioceramics,” Glass Ceramic, Vol. 57, No. 9-10, 2000, pp. 350-353. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1007198521974
[14]	H.-S. Ryu, J. K. Lee, H. Kim and K. S. Hong, “New Type of Bioactive Materials: Hydroxyapatite/α-Wollastonite Composites,” Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 20, No. 5, 2005, pp. 1154-1162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2005.0144
[15]	NYCO Minerals Inc., “Premium Quality Wollastonite NYAD M325,” NYCO IN-299-04-01 Booklet, NYCO Minerals, Willsboro, 2001.
[16]	M. Markovic and B. O. Fowler, “Preparation and Comprehensive Characterization of a Calcium Hydroxyapatite. Reference Material,” Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Vol. 109, No. 6, 2004, pp. 553-568. http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/jres.109.042
[17]	P. N. de Aza, F. Guitián and C. Santos, “Vibrational Properties of Calcium Phosphate Compounds. 2. Comparison between Hydroxyapatite and b-Tricalcium Phosphate,” Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1997, pp. 916-922. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm9604266
[18]	C. Paluszkiewicz, M. Blazewicz, J. Podporska and T. Gumula, “Nucleation of Hydroxyapatite Layer on Wollastonite Material Surface: FTIR Studies,” Vibrational Spectroscopy, Vol. 48, No. 2, 2008, pp. 263-268. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vibspec.2008.02.020
[19]	M. Kawata, H. Uchida, K. Itatani, I. Okada, S. Koda and M. Aizawa, “Development of Porous Ceramics with Well-Controlled Porosities and Pores Size from Apatite Fibers and their Evaluation,” Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, Vol. 15, No. 7, 1998, pp. 817-823. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:JMSM.0000032823.66093.aa