Optimization of the preparation process of α-tricalcium phosphate applied to bone cement

Abstract

α-Ca3(PO4)2 is one of raw materials of calcium phosphate bone cement, and a high-strength bone cement requires high-purity α-TCPs. In this work, the preparation process of α-TCP was optimized. The results show that the optimal preparation technology of α-Ca3(PO4)2 was to treat the mixture of wet synthetic Ca(HPO4) · 2H2O and analytical pure CaCO3 with ball milling, subsequently the mixture was heated with the heating rate of 5 °C min−1, then holded at 1000 °C for 3 h and calcined at 1350 °C for 2 h finally. The product contained 92.2% α-Ca3(PO4)2 phase, with the average particle size of 4.24 μm. A bone cement was composed of the prepared α-Ca3(PO4)2 powders and setting liquid of 8% Na2HPO3 · 12H2O and 7% citric acid monohydrate, the liquid to powder ratio was 0.35 ml g−1, the cement had setting time of 10.3 min, compressive strength of 45.48 MPa and perhaps being used as bone repairing material.