Materials Research (Mar 2005)

Influence of processing parameters on structural characteristics of porous calcium phosphate samples: a study using an experimental design method

  • José Fernandes de Oliveira Ugarte,
  • Lidia Ágata de Sena,
  • Carlos André de Castro Pérez,
  • Paula Fernandes de Aguiar,
  • Alexandre Malta Rossi,
  • Glória Almeida Soares

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-14392005000100013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 71 – 76

Abstract

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Synthetic porous ceramics can be used as three-dimensional scaffolds for bone repair. The aim of this work is to correlate process parameters with scaffolds structural characteristics. The factorial 2 level experimental design was chosen to study the effect of the Ca/P ratio (1.58 or 1.67), calcination temperature (1000 or 1150 °C) and porogen content (20 or 40%) on the calcium phosphate samples characteristics. The influence of such parameters was determined by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and image analysis. It was observed that phase composition was basically a function of the Ca/P ratio of the raw material. The use of the porogen did not alter the hydroxyapatite (HA)/tricalcium phosphate (TCP) content, but induced changes in the relative content of TCP phase (alpha or beta). It is possible to design a porous sample with defined characteristics, and the model herein used can be considered as having a good predictive power.

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