title: Apatite-forming ability of a zirconia/alumina nano-composite induced by chemical treatment.
abstract: Induction of an apatite-forming ability on a nano-composite of a ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Ce-TZP) and alumina (Al2O3) polycrystals via chemical treatment with aqueous solutions of H3PO4, H2SO4, HCl, or NaOH has been investigated. The Ce-TZP/Al2O3 composite is attractive as a load-bearing bone substitute because of its mechanical properties. The chemical treatments produced Zr-OH surface functional groups, which are known to be effective for apatite nucleation in a body environment. The composite, after chemical treatment, was shown to form a bonelike apatite layer when immersed in a simulated body fluid containing ion concentrations nearly equal to those in human blood plasma. This implies that it may form apatite in the living body and bond to living bone through the apatite layer. This type of bioactive Ce-TZP/Al2O3 composite is therefore expected to be useful as a bone substitute, even under load-bearing conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. uchida@sung7.kuic.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Hyun-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nawa
authors.forename: Taiyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry; D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D015040:Zirconium; D000535:Aluminum; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; C028541:zirconium oxide