Production and characterization of porous bodies of synthetic hydroxyapatite

The gel-casting process has been used for the preparation of ceramic and metallic materials making it possible to obtain shapes with controlled microstructure and mechanical properties. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a bioactive ceramic, due to its capacity to form chemical bonds with the bone tissue but, it has low mechanical resistance. In this work HA foams were prepared using gel-casting, with two solid percentages, 40 and 50%. The obtained foams were characterized by X Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) and compression tests. Results show that the foams have open and interconnected pores with sizes close to 100 pm. Mechanical tests indicate that the compressive strength increases by increasing solid percentage. The high potential of this process is demonstrated for the fabrication of porous bodies to be used in reconstructive surgery.