Production of hydroxyapatite-glass compacts by hydrothermal hot-pressing technique

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Abstract
Low-temperature sintering (under 350°C) of hydroxyapatite was attempted by a hydrothermal hot-pressing technique. The effects of borosilicate glass addition on the characteristics of the solidified body (mechanical strength, microstructure, crystal structure, pore distribution, etc.) and on the densification process during hydrothermal reaction were investigated. The borosilicate glass increased the mechanical strength of the solidified body; compression of 50% content of apatite was 2100 kg/cm2. It is also shown that water acts as a good catalyzer during solidification under hydrothermal conditions, and micropores can increase toughness of the solidified body due to the adsorption of stress. These hydrothermal hot-pressing solidification processes are so similar to sintering with liquid phase under pressure that the initial kinetics was discussed by means of the velocity measurement of shrinkage rate. In addition, these reactions may proceed in water, and are then discussed from the point of view of a heterogeneous reaction between powder and aqueous solution. It was proposed that the solidification process was due to viscous flow with rearrangement of grains in the solidified body, and the rate-determining step followed a core model of extraction from solid to solution.