Chemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite/poly(ε-caprolactone) composites

Hydroxyapatite (Ca-10(PO4)(6)(OH)(2))-biodegradable polymer composites as bone replacement scaffolds were synthesized by a colloidal non-aqueous precipitation technique at room temperature. The starting materials used for synthesizing hydroxyapatite (HA) were Ca(NO3)(2).4H(2)O and H3PO4 with a Ca/P ratio of 1.67 while poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) was used as the biodegradable polymer. The composites were prepared containing up to 34.5 wt.% HA and PCL polymer without any evidence of phase separation. This paper describes, the synthesis and structure of the HA/PCL composites. In addition, the pH changes during precipitation, the yield of the chemical reaction, and the possible existence of any bond between the ceramic and the polymer including the microstructure of the composites were studied. Finally, the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. The results of these studies are described and discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.