Cold Sintering Process for developing hydroxyapatite ceramic and polymer composite
Résumé
Cold sintering process (CSP) is a non-conventional, low-energy sintering technique that promotes the
densification of ceramics in the presence of transient liquids under low temperatures (≤300°C) and
pressures (≤500 MPa). Additionally, it provides a new strategy for the co-sintering of ceramic and
polymers into a single system which is not feasible through conventional methods. Exploiting the
advantages of cold sintering, this investigation has aimed to densify the hydroxyapatite (HA) at
nanoscale as well as the co-sintering of HA/polylactic acid (PLA) based composite for bone
regeneration applications. The importance of liquid phase chemistry in cold sintering of HA was
assessed using water, acetic acid, and phosphoric acid as liquids. The changes in relative density was
observed with respect to the nature of liquid/ionic concentrations (0.5M, 1.0M, & 2M). In the case of
composites, the influence of different compatibilizers on the homogeneous integration of HA/PLA
composite was examined. Eventually, this study contributes critical fundamental knowledge pertaining
to the development of dense HA ceramics and polymer composites. Specifically, it underscores the
importance of liquid phase chemistry in the cold sintering of HA as well as the influence of
compatibilizers in co-sintering of HA/PLA composites.