Preparation of Porous Composites with a Porous Framework Using Hydroxyapatite Whiskers and Poly(L-Lactic Acid) Short Fibers

A new type of porous composite with a porous framework was prepared using a mixture of hydroxyapatite whiskers (W-HA) and poly(L-lactic acid) short fibers (F-PLLA) by a particle-leaching technique. The material, composed of a porous framework with interconnecting pore of >1 µm, has large-sized pores of about 200 µm. The large-sized pores were formed by leaching sucrose granules. The porosity can be controlled in the range from 60 to 85 % by the sucrose content. The small-sized pores in the framework formed due to the poor densification of the W-HAs / F-PLLAs mixture. The pore distribution in the framework can be controlled by the compressing pressure without change in the distribution of large-sized pores.