A study of the consolidation method with albumin to obtain porous β-TCP ceramics

Abstract

In many 'in-vivo' and 'in-vitro' studies, the behavior of calcium phósphate ceramics likeβ-tricalcium phosphate in biological environments has been reported to be predictive and positive. In terms of bone tissue growth, these ceramics are attractive biomaterials due to their porous microstructures, To obtain biomaterial quality ceramics, in this investigation β-TCP porous ceramics were prepared by a special consolidation method with albumin as a foam generating agent. This technique enables a variety of formats with complex geometries to be prepared. To obtain porous samples using albumin, heat had to be introduced into the system during the consolidation stage. After consolidation, the samples were sintered at 1250 °C for 30 minutes and characterized using X ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and mercury porosimetry. The foams that were obtained by this method exhibited spherical and interconnected pores, characteristics desirable in biomedical implants.