Surface Dissolution of Hydroxyapatite Prepared by Microwave Sintering

Abstract

The aim of this study was to prepare dense hydroxyapatite (HA) by microwave sintering and to evaluate the dissolution behavior in distilled water. Commercially-obtained HA powders having Ca/P ratio of 1.67 were used as a starting material. The as-received powder of granular type consists of nano-sized particles. Microwave sintering was operated at 1200°C for 5 min with a heating rate of 50°C/min. Microwave sintering process reduced grain size of HA, compared with the case of conventional sintering. During the immersion in distilled water for 3-14 days, grain boundary dissolution occurred and the dissolution extended into the bulk following this path. As a result, particles were separated from the structure leaving micron-scale defects.