Aida Faeghinia - Associate Professor, Department of Ceramic, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Iran
Touradj Ebadzadeh - Professor, Department of Ceramic, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Iran

Hydroxyapatite (HAp, Ca۱۰(PO۴)۶(OH)۲), a calcium phosphate bio ceramic which is chemically similar to natural bone mineral, is widely used as a scaffolding material in bone tissue engineering. In this study, Hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics were sintered using microwave in one- and two-step heat treatment. The sintering temperatures in the first heat treatment step were in the range of ۹۶۵-۱۰۰۰ °C without isothermal holding, and the power levels of the microwave were set at ۶۰۰, ۷۵۰, and ۹۰۰ W. The temperatures in the second heat treatment step were ۶۰۰, ۷۳۵, and ۸۶۰ °C. Of note, HAp-to-Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) phase transformation was not detected at ۱۰۰۰ °C; instead, the preferred growth of (۲۱۱) planes corresponding to the circular morphology was observed. As observed in the XRD images, crystallite degradation occurred in two-step sintered samples. In addition, the SEM micrographs indicated that the open porosity in the two-step heat treated samples was more than that of samples which were heat treated in one step. In case the sintering temperature was set at ۱۰۰۰ °C, the maximum density values of ۹۲ % and ۹۵ % were obtained for one- and two-step sintered samples, respectively.

Hydroxyapatite, Sintering, Two Steps, SEM