The Study of Chemical, Mechanical, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Poly Lactic Acid-nano Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffold

Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) ceramics have been recognized as substitute material in bone due to their chemical and biological similarity to human bone tissue. Nano HAp powders were synthesized by wet precipitation technique using aqueous suspension of 0.5 M calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] with 0.3 M orthophosphoric acid [H3PO4] adding drop-wise and vigorously stirred to control the crystal size at nanoscale room temperature and pH 10.0were maintained to obtain a high purity of HAp. The HAp has been characterized and confirmed its nano crystal formation by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Then HAp has been pushed through polylactic acid (PLA) to make the composite scaffold blocks. Nano HAp-PLA composite scaffold blocks were produced by freeze drying. Different loading concentrations of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) particles with the polylactic acid (PLA)fabricated scaffold blocks was investigated on their mechanical, thermal and morphological properties. The chemical and thermal properties of scaffold blocks were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the simultaneous thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA), the differential thermal analyzer (DTA) and thermos-mechanical analyzer (TMA). Crystallographic characterization was done by X-Ray diffraction and morphological characterization by scanning electron microscope. From the mechanical, thermal, chemical, and morphological analysis, it can estimate that the scaffold blocks possess microporous structure with 60% porosity having low moisture content 3% maximum, uniform nHAp distribution through scaffold block and15% HAp contained scaffold block possess maximum load holding ability.