Preparation of Macroporous Glass-Ceramic Composites Containing β-TCP
A macroporous phosphate invert glass ceramic (PIGC) was prepared by dipping polymer sponges in the powder-slurry of the mother glass with a composition of 60CaO-30P2O-3TiO2- 7Na2O in mol%, and subsequent burning off the sponge at 850°C for 1 hr. The macroporous PIGC consists predominantly of ß-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and ß-calcium pyrophosphate, and it has macropores of 500 μm in diameter and porosity of 83 %. Its compressive strength was estimated to be 160 kPa. The PIGC composite containing a large amount of β-TCP was also prepared by heating the mixture of Ca(OH)2 with the mother glass powders of the PIGC. Solubility of the composite was higher than PIGC. The macroporous PIGC and PIGC composite were expected to be applicable in high resorbable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.