Effect of the addition of t-ZrO2 on the material properties of b-TCP/PCL composites

Using poly-methyl methacrylate as a poreforming agent, porous b-tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP)/ t-ZrO2 composites were fabricated depending on the volume percentages (vol.%) of t-ZrO2 powder. In the porous sintered bodies, hybrid pores, about 20 and 200 lm in diameter, were homogenously dispersed in the b-TCP/t-ZrO2 matrix and showed good interconnection. On the other hand, b-TCP-(t- ZrO2)/polycaprolactone (PCL) composites were fabricated by the melt infiltration process using porous b-TCP/t-ZrO2 bodies. The relative density of the b-TCP-(t-ZrO2)/PCL composites increased as the vol.% of t-ZrO2 increased and its maximum value was about 98.6%. However, the hardness, bending strength and elastic modulus of b-TCP-(t-ZrO2)/ PCL composites decreased due to the low densification of porous b-TCP/t-ZrO2 bodies as the volume percentages of t-ZrO2 content increased. The values (using 20 vol.% of t-ZrO2) were 11.4 Hv, 25.5 MPa and 17.2 GPa, respectively.