Fabrication of biphasic calcium phosphates/polycaprolactone composites by melt infiltration process.

Synthesis and characterization of material properties of biphasic calcium phosphates (BCP)/polycaprolactone (PCL) composites, which were obtained by melt infiltration of PCL using porous BCP bodies, were investigated. Using 70 vol.% of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) powder as a pore-forming agent, porous BCP bodies were obtained by pressure less sintering depending on the temperature. The porous bodies obtained showed interconnected, spherical pores about 200 microm in diameter. Densification of the pore frame improved and grain growth increased remarkably as the sintering temperature increased. Molten PCL was infiltrated into porous BCP bodies to obtain the BCP/PCL composites. The material properties such as the relative density, hardness, bending strength, and elastic modulus of BCP/PCL composite, which was sintered at 1200 degrees C, were 95.7%, 11.2 Hv, 31.6 MPa and 10.2 GPa, respectively.