Effect of Space Holder Content on Pore Size and Distribution in HA/β-TCP Composites Consolidated by SPS

Ceramics biomaterials are useful as implant materials in orthopedic surgery. In this study, porous HA(hydroxyapatite)/${\beta}$-TCP(tricalcium phosphate) composite biomaterials were successfully fabricated using HA/${\beta}$-TCP powders with 10-30 wt% $NH_4HCO_3$ as a space holder(SH) and $TiH_2$ as a foaming agent, and MgO powder as a binder. The HA/${\beta}$-TCP powders were consolidated by spark plasma sintering(SPS) process at $1000^{\circ}C$ under 20 MPa conditions. The effect of SH content on the pore size and distribution of the HA/${\beta}$-TCP composite was observed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and a microfocus X-ray computer tomography system(SMX-225CT). These microstructure observations revealed that the volume fraction of the pores increased with increasing SH content. The pore size of the HA/${\beta}$-TCP composites is about $400-500{\mu}m$. The relative density of the porous HA/${\beta}$-TCP composite increased with decreasing SH content. The porous HA/${\beta}$-TCP composite fabricated with 30%SH exhibited an elastic modulus similar to that of cortical bone; however, the compression strength of this composite is higher than that of cortical bone.

SPS로 제조된 HA/β-TCP 복합재의 기공의 크기와 분포에 미치는 지지체 량의 영향