The effect of pressure during sintering on the strength and the fracture toughness of hydroxyapatite ceramics.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is known to be biocompatible and osteoconductive, and can be synthesized chemically. The objective of the present study is to clarify the effect of pressure during sintering on the mechanical properties of HA. HA was sintered using a hot press system at a uniaxial pressure ranging from 7.81 to 62.5 MPa at a maximum temperature of 1200 degrees C with a heating rate of 10 degrees C/min. The density of the HA increased with increasing pressure and peaked at the sintering pressure of 31.2 MPa. Four-points bending tests and fracture toughness measurements with indentation method were conducted to clarify the effect of sintering pressure. Bending strength decreased at the pressure > 31.2 MPa. This result indicates that residual stress generated during sintering process became larger with increasing pressure. Fracture toughness were also lower with high density HA.