Selective laser melting of Zn-Si-substituted hydroxyapatite

The behavior of hydroxyapatite containing zinc and silicate ions during selective laser melting under irradiation at 10.6 µm was studied for the first time. For comparison, the behavior of the material heated in a high-temperature furnace was investigated. It was found that, in contrast to the slow heating in the furnace, heating of the mechanochemically synthesized material with the degree of substitution x = 0.2 by scanning the laser spot enables its recrystallization with retention of substituent ions in the apatite structure. At high degrees of substitution ( x = 1, 2), hydroxyapatites are unstable under both heating regimes. Different heating conditions lead to the formation of different impurity phases.