Study of the thermal degradation of bioactive sol–gel coatings for the optimization of its curing process

Abstract

A set of materials has been prepared by sol–gel process containing different quantities of hydroxyapatite (0, 2.5 and 5% HAp w/w) using as silica precursors glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and triethoxyvinylsilane (VTES). In order to optimize the curing process to obtain sintherized systems (inorganic network) or hybrid systems (organic–inorganic) a TG and FTIR studies have been developed and degradation kinetic triplet parameters were obtained (the activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and function of degree of conversion). The kinetic study was analyzed by means of an integral isoconversional non-isothermal procedure (model free), and the kinetic model was determined by the Coats–Redfern method and through the compensation effect (IKR). All the systems followed the n = 6 kinetic model. The addition of HAp increases the thermal stability of the systems. The isothermal degradation was simulated from non-isothermal data, and the curing process could be defined to obtain the two types of materials. Temperature under 250 °C allows the formation of hybrids networks.