Abstract:
Hydroxyapatite is a bioceramic which can be used for
applications in orthopedics and dentistry due to its structural
similarity with the mineral phase of mammalian bones and teeth. In
this study, it was synthesized, chemically changing natural Eppawala
chloroapatite mineral as a value-added product. Sol-gel approach and
solid state sintering were used to synthesize products using diluted
nitric acid, ethanol and calcium hydroxide under different conditions.
Synthesized Eppawala hydroxyapatite powder was characterized
using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD),
Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) in order to find out its
composition, crystallinity, presence of functional groups, bonding
type, surface morphology, microstructural features, and thermal
dependence and stability, respectively. The XRD results reflected the
formation of a hexagonal crystal structure of hydroxyapatite.
Elementary composition and microstructural features of products
were discussed based on the XRF and SEM results of the synthesized
hydroxyapatite powder. TGA and DSC results of synthesized
products showed high thermal stability and good material stability in
nature. Also, FTIR spectroscopy results confirmed the formation of
hydroxyapatite from apatite via the presence of hydroxyl groups.
Those results coincided with the FTIR results of mammalian bones
including human bones. The study concludes that there is a
possibility of producing hydroxyapatite using commercially available
Eppawala chloroapatite in Sri Lanka
