XRD, SEM/EDX and FTIR Characterization of Brazilian Natural Coral
In the present work, natural coral from Brazilian reefs were studied according to their crystallography by X-ray diffraction and microstructure by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM/EDX). FTIR spectroscopy was also used to evaluate the chemical functionalities and major components present in the material. The SEM morphology results have shown a tri-dimensional coral structure with porous ranging from 50 to 200 µm. Aragonite was identified as the major crystalline phase through XRD analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. Strontium calcium carbonate, (Sr,Ca)CO3, was also identified by XRD analysis. After sintering at 900º/1h, the conversion from aragonite to CaO and calcite was observed. These results have endorsed the high potential application of natural coral materials as 3D scaffolds for biomedical application, because of calcium carbonate compounds can be converted to HA by hydrothermal and biomimetic coating processes.