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Manipulation of Porous Bioceramic Microstructures by Freezing of Suspensions Containing Binary Mixtures of Solvents
Author(s) -
Rahaman Mohamed N.,
Fu Qiang
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2008.02795.x
Subject(s) - microstructure , chemical engineering , bioceramic , porosity , aqueous solution , solvent , materials science , glycerol , polar , hydrogen bond , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , molecule , physics , astronomy , engineering
In our previous work, using a unidirectional freeze‐casting method, it was observed that the addition of certain polar organic solvents, such as 1,4‐dioxane and glycerol, to aqueous suspensions of hydroxyapatite (HA) resulted in drastic changes to the microstructure. The objective of the present work is to provide a rationalization of the observed microstructures. Phase separation of the binary water–dioxane and water–glycerol mixtures during freezing, and the physical chemistry of the solvent mixtures, such as the ability of the polar organic solvents to modify the hydrogen bonding of water, are the key factors influencing the freeze‐cast microstructures. The porous HA constructs could be applied as scaffolds for bone repair.