Porous Hydroxyapatite with Tailored Crystal Surface Prepared by Hydrothermal Method
Porous plates of hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2; HA) with about 0.5 to 5 mm in thickness and porous HA granules of about 40 µm to 1 mm in size with tailored crystal surface were prepared by the hydrothermal vapor exposure method at the temperatures above 105 °C under saturated vapor pressure of pure water. Porous HA plates with about 75 % porosity prepared at 120 °C were composed of rod-shaped crystals of about 20 µm in length. Porous HA granules prepared at 160 °C were also composed of rod-shaped crystals of about 20 µm in length with the mean aspect ratio of 30. These crystals were elongated along the c-axis. Rod-shaped HA crystals were locked together to make micro-pores of about 0.1 to 0.5 µm in size. Both of materials were nonstoichiometric HA with calcium deficient composition. These materials must have the advantage of adsorptive activity, because they had large specific crystal surface and much micro-pores.