Solvent effect on observation of nanostructural hydrated porous ceramic green bodies using hydrophilic ionic liquid

Abstract

Structural observation of hydrated porous hydroxyapatite (HAp) during its processing was observed in the presence of a hydrophilic ionic liquid using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The images showed the nanostructure of the hydrated HAp green body. Furthermore, in order to optimize the nanostructural observations of the HAp green ceramics, various solvent effects were investigated. In addition, the shrinkage behavior of the structural porous HAp ceramic green body with respect to humidity was revealed. The as-prepared sample showed particles approximately 20–150 nm in diameter, which gradually contracted to approximately 10–100 nm upon drying in a humidity chamber. Following sintering at 1000 °C, the pores had further contracted to approximately 100–500 nm. The dimensional change of the hydrous HAp was less than 1%. These results suggest that the hydrous HAp can maintain its nanostructure after the IL treatment. This technique would be useful for the structural characterization of wet ceramics. The nano-scaled characterization of the hydrous green body can provide valuable information for the fabrication of advanced ceramic materials.