Alkoxide route for preparing hydroxyapatite and its coatings.

The preparation of hydroxyapatite using n-butanol or ethanol solutions of P2O5 and Ca glycoxide as precursors of P and Ca was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Stable mixed solutions of the precursors could be obtained in the presence of acetic acid (HOAC). For the mixed solution of Ca glycoxide with the ethanol solution of P2O5, a lower HOAC/Ca ratio was needed since the ethanol solution of P2O5 contained a lower concentration of H3PO4, a species that easily forms precipitates in the presence of the Ca containing species. An amorphous powder was obtained by heating the stable solution of Ca glycoxide and PO(OH)x(OEt)3-x with an HOAC/Ca ratio of 4 in a hot plate at approximately 150 degrees C. Hydroxyapatite (HAP) was directly formed after calcining the amorphous powder at 500 degrees C. The stable mixed solutions of Ca glycoxide and the alcoholic solutions of P2O5 were used to prepare HAP coatings on alumina substrates using a dip-coating method. The resulting ceramic coatings have a rough surface and an adhesion strength of about 10 MPa. The morphology of the coatings is dependent on the preparation chemistry.