Development of novel alumina-containing bioactive glass-ceramics in the CaO-MgO-SiO2 system as candidates for dental implant applications

Abstract

This paper reports on synthesis and characterization (sintering, crystallization, microstructure and mechanical properties) of novel alumina-containing (1 mol%) bioactive glass-ceramics (GCs) in CaO-MgO-SiO2 system with additives of K2O, Na2O, P2O5, CaF2, and Al2O3. Dense and well-sintered GCs were produced by glass-melt quenching and glass-powder compact sintering. The K-free GCs were comprised of diopside, wollastonite, and fluorapatite, and the K-containing ones consisted of diopside, fluorapatite, and alpha-potassium magnesium silicate (α-PMS). The mechanical properties of the produced GCs were better than those of the titanium and zirconia dental implant materials, and their modulus of elasticity (27–34 GPa), microhardness (6.0–6.7 GPa), and fracture toughness (2.1–2.6 MPa m0.5) are a good match to those of human jaw bone and dentine. The produced GCs were also bioactive, which was witnessed by the formation of hydroxyapatite on their surface after their immersion in simulated body fluid at 37 °C.