New method to obtain chitosan/apatite materials at room temperature

Brushite in citric acid/chitosan solutions are utilized to prepare powders or coatings by dip-coating. These materials are alkaline transformed at room temperature into calcium-deficient apatite/chitosan mixtures. Powders containing from 35 to 80% of inorganic filler can be prepared. The thermogravimetric and X-ray analysis of the residues indicates a strong interaction between the chitosan and the ceramic components. Ti6Al4V substrates have been coated yielding adherent layers that range between 1 and 4 microns depending on the repetition of the coating procedure. The formation of apatite onto these materials after immersion in a simulated body fluid (SBF) indicates a potential bioactivity in vivo. The materials have been characterized by viscosimetry, XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, SFM and TG/ATD. The adhesion strength was determined by a pull-out test.

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