Development of carbon nanotube-reinforced hydroxyapatite bioceramics

Abstract

This paper reports development of a production method to create a composite material that is biocompatible, which will have high mechanical strength and resilience, and be able to withstand exposure to the physiological environment. The chemical precipitation conditions necessary for the production of single-phase synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) and a HAp and carbon nanotube (CNT)composite material have been optimised. Neutron diffraction patterns collected before and after sintering show that the nanotubes have remained intact within the structure, while most of the remaining soot has burnt off. Small-angle neutron scattering, in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), also shows preservation of the CNTs. Hot isostatically pressed samples showed excellent densification. Neutron diffraction data has enabled the positions of the hydroxide bonds to be determined, and shown that the addition of the CNTs has had no effect on the structural parameters of the HAp phase, with the exception of a slight reduction in the unit cell parameter a.