Synthesis and characterization of porous hybrid biomaterials with improved mechanical properties

Abstract

New ceramic-polymer biomaterials with controlled porosity were synthesized with improved mechanical and tribological properties. These materials contain synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) microparticles and two different ceramic particles at different concentrations (alumina microparticles and silica nanoparticles) and posses a morphology that matches the real bone. The particles were agglutinated using solvent-free, mono-component polyurethane. The pores were generated by a chemical reaction between the OH groups of the hydroxylated resin and the ceramic particles with the blocked isocyanate. The porosity grows practically linear with the temperature of the thermal treatment. The materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ICP, dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), densitometry, abrasion, and mechanical tests.