Growth of calcium phosphate on poling treated ferroelectric BaTiO3 ceramics

Barium titanate (BaTiO3; BTO) is ferroelectric and piezoelectric after poling treatment. In this study, the bioactivity of BTO was investigated after a poling treatment by examining the formation of crystal growth on specimen surfaces in vitro. Negatively charged BTO surfaces showed calcium phosphate (Ca-P) crystal growth, while deposition of sodium chloride was observed on the positively charged BTO surfaces. After 30 days immersion in Eagle's MEM, the thickness of Ca-P crystal on negatively charged BTO surfaces increased to 0.8-0.9 mum. These data indicate that incorporating selectively polarized BTO on implant surfaces is a promising means for improving the bioactivity of implant materials. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.