title: Biomimetic apatite sintered at very low temperature by spark plasma sintering: physico-chemistry and microstructure aspects.
abstract: Nanocrystalline apatites analogous to bone mineral are very promising materials for the preparation of highly bioactive ceramics due to their unique intrinsic physico-chemical characteristics. Their surface reactivity is indeed linked to the presence of a metastable hydrated layer on the surface of the nanocrystals. Yet the sintering of such apatites by conventional techniques, at high temperature, strongly alters their physico-chemical characteristics and biological properties, which points out the need for "softer" sintering processes limiting such alterations. In the present work a non-conventional technique, spark plasma sintering, was used to consolidate such nanocrystalline apatites at non-conventional, very low temperatures (T<300 degrees C) so as to preserve the surface hydrated layer present on the nanocrystals. The bioceramics obtained were then thoroughly characterized by way of complementary techniques. In particular, microstructural, nanostructural and other major physico-chemical features were investigated and commented on. This work adds to the current international concern aiming at improving the capacities of present bioceramics, in view of elaborating a new generation of resorbable and highly bioactive ceramics for bone tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: CIRIMAT, Université de Toulouse, CNRS/INPT/UPS, ENSIACET 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse Cedex 4, France. david.grossin@ensiacet.fr
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grossin
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rollin-Martinet
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Estournès
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossignol
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Champion
authors.forename: Christèle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Combes
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: Chevallier
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geoffroy
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drouet
mesh_terms: D001031:Apatites; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites