Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite During Glassy Matrix Dissolution: Influence of their Chemical Composition

Abstract

Experimental alteration of synthetic Ca–Si–P glasses was performed in pure water at 90°C from 1 to 56 days. The secondary phases formed during this alteration were analyzed by powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Changes in the chemical composition of solutions during the reaction were also measured. The results revealed the growth of hydroxyapatite on the glass surfaces, especially for the most calcic of them. Moreover, the stability of the glasses during an alteration process directly depended on their chemical compositions; the more siliceous glasses appeared to be the less alterable matrices. Thus, the development of hydroxyapatite crystals may be experimentally controlled by the chemistry of the starting glassy materials.