Synthesis and characterization of ceramic - polymer composites containing bioactive synthetic hydroxyapatite for biomedical applications

Presented research involved preparation of hydroxyapatite and synthesis of composites based on gelatin, albumin and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) modified with the obtained compound. Hydroxyapatite was attained as a product of two-stage processing of pig bones. Applied procedure involved hydrolysis of the raw material in acidic environment and double calcination. Molar ratio Ca/P of hydroxyapatite has been determined and its chemical structure has been characterized using X-ray diffraction and FT-IR spectroscopy. Ratio Ca/P calculated on the basis of conducted research was 1.50 ± 0.05. Thus prepared material met the ISO requirements, which assume that the Ca/P ratio should be in the range 1.5-2.0, which qualifies the material for further studies. Next, series of polymer matrix on the basis of gelatin, albumin and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) has been synthesized and subjected to some analyzes. On the basis of the conducted studies, matrixes with the most favorable features such as desirable strength, flexibility and crosslinking degree were modified with previously prepared hydroxyapatite. Surface morphology and elemental composition of the composites have been analyzed using SEM-EDS method. Additionally, sorption capacity of modified composites and their behavior in simulated body fluids have been determined. Based on the conducted research it can be concluded that pig bones represent a good material for preparation of hydroxyapatite. Furthermore, composites based on proteins of natural origin modified with attained hydroxyapatite constitute a promising material that can be used for biomedical purposes.