Kinetics of thermal decomposition of hydroxyapatite bioceramics

The mechanism and kinetics of thermal decomposition of injection moulded hydroxyapatite ceramics were studied over the temperature range of 1473-1758 K. At temperatures below 1473 K the sintering and transformation of hydroxyapatite to hydroxyoxyapatite proceeded to a conversion degree of 0.4 to 0.5. At temperatures between 1473 and 1758 K the hydroxyapatite was decomposed to alpha-TCP, H2O and CaO. The decomposition of HOA started on the surface of the HOA ceramics. The rate of increase in the thickness of the reaction products (alpha-TCP) was described by the parabolic law. The kinetic analysis of the time dependence of HOA conversion to TCP by means of the J-M-A-J-K equation also showed that the thermal decomposition of HOA ceramics was controlled by diffusion of water from the reaction zone to the surface of the ceramic sample. The activation energy of the thermal decomposition of HOA ceramics amounted to 283.5 kJ/mol. (C) 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.