Properties of nanostructured hydroxyapatite prepared by a spray drying technique

In previous studies nano sized hydroxyapatite (HA) particles were prepared by sol-gel or precipitation methods, in which the products were washed by aqueous or nonaqueous liquids to remove impurities or undesired components. The washing is know to modify the surfaces of the cystalline particles. This study evaluated properties of nano HA materials prepared by a spray drying method in which the HA product was not exposed to any liquid after its formation. The spray drying apparatus consisted of a nozzle that sprayed an acidic calcium phosphate solution in the form of a fine mist into a stream of filtered air flowing through a heated glass column. The water and volatile acid were evaporated by the time the mist reached the end of the column, and the fine particles were collected by an electrostatic precipitator. Powder x ray diffraction patterns suggested the material was amorphous, exhibiting a single broad peak at 30.5degrees2theta.. However, high resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis showed that the particles, some of which were 5 nm in size, exhibited well ordered HA lattice fringes. Small area diffraction patterns were indicative of HA. Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy showed patterns of typical of HA with small amounts of HPO42-. The thermodynamic solubility product of the nano HA was 3.3 x 10(-94) compared to 1 x 10(-117) for macro scale crystalline HA. These results showed that a spray drying technique can be used to prepare nanometer sized crystalline HA that have significantly different physicochemical properties than those of its bulk-scale counterpart.