Easy manufacturing of 3D ceramic scaffolds by the foam replica technique combined with sol-gel or ceramic slurry

Abstract

A material, whose composition was based on the SiO 2 –CaO–P 2 O 5 system, was used to prepare 3D porous ceramic scaffolds made by the foam replication technique linking the sol-gel route or ceramic slurry in barbotine suspension processes. With an appropriate heat treatment, it was possible to obtain a 3D-scaffold containing two crystalline phases or more, and a controlled nano-to microscale microstructure. The obtained scaffolds presented an interconnected and well-defined porous structure. Its pore size was 0.060–600 μm. It had a rough pore wall that could potentially benefit ingrowth and cell adhesion. In terms of hydroxycarbonate apatite formation in simulated body fluid (SBF), the 3D scaffolds’ bioactivity was confirmed after 3 and 14 days of immersion in SBF. This clearly confirms that these new scaffolds are suitable for bone regeneration applications. Processing technology allows 3D scaffolds to be adapted with particular microstructures to increase/decrease their in vitro behavior.