HA forming ability of some glass-ceramics of the CaMgSi2O6–Ca5(PO4)3F–CaAl2SiO6 system

A new bioglass-ceramics based on various content of the diopside [CaMgSi2O6]–fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F]–Ca-Tschermakʹs [CaAl2SiO6] system with minor additives of (Na2O, B2O3 and TiO2) were formulated. The surface reactivity of the glass-ceramic specimens was studied in vitro in Kokuboʹs simulated body fluid (SBF). EDAX–SEM, and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy were used to characterize the glass-ceramic surfaces and the SBF compositional changes. Different bioactivity behaviour could be detected. Some samples showed a high reactivity with the (SBF) solution forming apatite rich layer on their surfaces as indicated from the EDAX–SEM and (ICP) data. However, other samples, which contain high percentage of Ca-Tschermakʹs component, i.e. rich in Al2O3, showed minimum presence or absence of apatite layer, which indicated that moderate or inert bioactive materials were also formed. The prepared glass-ceramics had hardness, 6925–8055 MPa; thermal expansion coefficients in the 25–700 °C temperature range, 72 × 10−7 to 105 × 10−7 °C−1 and density values in the range, 2.78–2.94 g/cm3.