Transparent .BETA.-Tricalcium Phosphate Ceramics Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering

Beta-tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2, beta-TCP) is known to be biocompatible and osteoconductive. In the present study, beta-TCP ceramics were prepared by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique at temperatures ranging from 800-1000 C at a pressure of 60 MPa for 10 min at a heating rate of 25 C/min. No phases other than beta-TCP were detected in the samples sintered at 800, 900, and 1000 C by X-ray diffractometry. The relative densities of the beta-TCP ceramics sintered at 800, 900 and 1000 C were 70, 95 and more than 99%, respectively. Transparent beta-TCP ceramics were obtained at 1000 C for 10 min. From the results obtained by scanning probe microscopy, the ceramics prepared at 800 and 900 C were found to have a few pores. The transparent ceramics had an average grain size of 1.5 microns and seemed to be pore-free.