Size-controlled preparation of α-calcium sulphate hemihydrate starting from calcium sulphate dihydrate in the presence of modifiers and the dissolution rate in simulated body fluid.

Different-sized α-calcium sulphate hemihydrate (α-CSH) rods were hydrothermally prepared by converting calcium sulphate dihydrate at 110-140°C in the presence of MgCl2, sodium citrate (CANa), and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) as the modifiers. The α-CSH rods with the average diameters and the average lengths in the ranges of 2.6-5.2 and 17.5-33.1 μm, respectively, were tunably prepared. The presence of the modifiers favoured the formation of small-sized α-CSH rods. The effect of the modifiers on decreasing the diameters of α-CSH rods was in an order of SDBS>CANa>MgCl2. The dissolution rates of the different-sized α-CSH rods prepared at 140°C in simulated body fluid were in an order of α-CSH (CANa)>α-CSH (MgCl2)>α-CSH (reference)>α-CSH (SDBS). The naked and small-sized α-CSH rods had high dissolution rates. The adsorption of SDBS on the surfaces of α-CSH rods decreased their dissolution rates.