Porous Hydroxyapatite Bioceramics Prepared by Polymeric Sponge Impregnation Process

Porous hydroxyapatite bioceramics were obtained by impregnating the polyurethane sponge with rheologically optimized slurry. 6wt% bioglass was doped into hydroxyapatite to act as a sintering additive. Thermal analysis was used to study the pyrolysis process of the polyurethane sponge. Phase component and surface morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. It was found that hydroxyapatite was the main phase composition of the porous ceramics sintered at 1250°C. The porous bodies prepared had an open, uniform and interconnected structure with pore size of 200-400μm. The porous ceramics possessed high porosity of 70-80% and compressive strength of 2.3MPa. The precipitates formed on the surface of the porous ceramics might be bone-like apatite after immersion in a simulated body fluid for various periods.