Bioactivity and characterization of Wollastonite-Li-silicate glass

Abstract

Glasses were prepared from nominal wollastonite-lithium silicate in the ratios of 87.5/12.5, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and glasses respectively. However, the glass of 25/75 ratio run through devitrification into lithium silicate and little quartz whereas, the other three ratios formed transparent glasses. The thermal behavior of glasses shows a decrease in the main exothermic temperature; which goes along with an increase in the lithium silicate content. Sintering of such glasses at the crystallization temperature given by differential thermal analysis (at 607 °C + 705 °C and at 661 °C) or at one step at 1000 °C, indicates the formation of three phases of pseudowollastonite [Ca3(Si3O9)], wollastonite (CaSiO3), and lithium silicate (Li2SiO3). The results of the in-vitro test by means of soaking in SBF for two weeks tracked by scanning the sample's surface and measuring the calcium and phosphorous ions using induced coupled plasma (ICP) in the SBF, exhibited that samples had improved talent to accelerate the mineralization of calcium phosphate and that the ratio of Ca/P declined from 2.55 to 1.86 upon increment of the Li2O ratio. The X-ray analysis shows the formation of hydroxyapatite on the sample’s surfaces. The biocompatibility and thermal properties of the premeditated glass ceramics secure exceptional properties and can be used to impress different biomedical applications.