Mechanical Properties of Hydroxyapatite/La Prepared by a Solid Chemical Reaction Method

Mechanical properties of Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, HA, still need to be modified to improve its function as dental filler or bone implant. HA is usually substituted with other metals to increase its mechanical strength. In this study, HA from chicken eggshells was substituted with La with a concentration variation of 1-3 wt % with a solid chemical reaction at a temperature of 1100 °C for 2 hours. The structure, morphology and mechanical strength of HA/La were characterized by XRD, SEM and Vicker Hardness, respectively. All HA samples adopt the P 63/m space group. Likewise, the IR spectra are similar to each other, which shows the formation of the HA structure, indicated by the presence of the -OH and PO43- groups. HA/La with the highest hardness value of 1.85 GPa is obtained from the 3 wt % La doping. The higher the La content added, the higher the hardness of the hydroxyapatite. The doping of 3% La increased the hardness of HA 17%.