Bioglass-assisted preparation of network sodium titanate bioceramics

Abstract

The objective of this work is to prepare new network sodium titanates ceramics (N-STC) via a common ceramics fabrication method and to evaluate the influence of a bioglass additive and sintering temperature on the mechanical properties and biological activity of N-STC. Samples with different concentrations of bioglass were prepared at 900–1050 °C. The crystal structure and morphology of the materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The porosity was investigated by a conventional liquid substitution method. Hardness and fracture toughness were determined by using the Vickers indentation method. As a preliminary biological evaluation, vitro simulated body fluid (SBF) tests were carried out using the Kokubo method. It was found that the bioglass additive and the sintering temperatures significantly affect the structure and performance of N-STC. The best performance was obtained by sintering the network sodium titanates (ST) together with 15 wt% bioglass at 950 °C. The porosity of the material is 82.75% and bending strength is 40.2 MPa. These N-STC samples with low cytotoxicity were immersed in SBF for 7 days, and covered by calcium titanate (CT) together with hydroxyapatite (HAP), indicating the potential application of this material in tissue engineering.