Solution Combustion Synthesis
of Calcium Phosphate-Based Bioceramic
Powders for Biomedical Applications
S. T. Aruna and M. Shilpa
Abstract Calcium phosphate (CaP)-based bioceramics are widely used in orthopedics and dentistry for bone regeneration due to their good biocompatibility, osseointegration and osteoconduction. Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) is the most widely
used bioceramic coating in biomedical implants as it has a chemical composition
similar to that of the bone. The properties of the coating depend on the nature of
powders and in turn on the source of the powders. Hydroxyapatite powders can be
prepared by a variety of chemical routes like co-precipitation, hydrothermal, sol-gel,
solution combustion, etc. Among these methods, the solution combustion method
is promising as it is a single step, cost-effective and energy-efficient process and
yields high purity ceramic powders compared to conventional multi-step wet chemical processes. This method can also yield powders in nano and micron size range
and can be used for the fabrication of coatings using methods like plasma spraying,
suspension plasma spraying, electrophoretic deposition, etc. This chapter gives an
overview of the solution combustion synthesis of pure and doped hydroxyapatite
powders and their characterization. The last section of this chapter discusses the solution combustion synthesis of plasma sprayable hydroxyapatite powder, fabrication
of HAp coating and characterization of the developed plasma-sprayed coating.
1 Introduction
Ceramics are playing a pivotal role in all fields of science and technology. It is
interesting to note that ceramics are also being used for a long time in the medical
industry. Some of the important ceramic materials that are being used in biomedical
applications are alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), zirconia (ZrO 2 ), calcium aluminates, bio-glass
and hydroxyapatite (Fig. 1) and they are referred to as bioceramics. Bioceramics
are defined as a class of ceramics that are used for repairing and replacing diseased
S. T. Aruna (B) · M. Shilpa
Surface Engineering Division, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, Bengaluru
560017,, KA, India
e-mail: aruna_reddy@nal.res.in
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
T. S. Santra and L. Mohan (eds.), Nanomaterials and Their Biomedical Applications,
Springer Series in Biomaterials Science and Engineering 16,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6252-9_7
175
of Calcium Phosphate-Based Bioceramic
Powders for Biomedical Applications
S. T. Aruna and M. Shilpa
Abstract Calcium phosphate (CaP)-based bioceramics are widely used in orthopedics and dentistry for bone regeneration due to their good biocompatibility, osseointegration and osteoconduction. Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) is the most widely
used bioceramic coating in biomedical implants as it has a chemical composition
similar to that of the bone. The properties of the coating depend on the nature of
powders and in turn on the source of the powders. Hydroxyapatite powders can be
prepared by a variety of chemical routes like co-precipitation, hydrothermal, sol-gel,
solution combustion, etc. Among these methods, the solution combustion method
is promising as it is a single step, cost-effective and energy-efficient process and
yields high purity ceramic powders compared to conventional multi-step wet chemical processes. This method can also yield powders in nano and micron size range
and can be used for the fabrication of coatings using methods like plasma spraying,
suspension plasma spraying, electrophoretic deposition, etc. This chapter gives an
overview of the solution combustion synthesis of pure and doped hydroxyapatite
powders and their characterization. The last section of this chapter discusses the solution combustion synthesis of plasma sprayable hydroxyapatite powder, fabrication
of HAp coating and characterization of the developed plasma-sprayed coating.
1 Introduction
Ceramics are playing a pivotal role in all fields of science and technology. It is
interesting to note that ceramics are also being used for a long time in the medical
industry. Some of the important ceramic materials that are being used in biomedical
applications are alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), zirconia (ZrO 2 ), calcium aluminates, bio-glass
and hydroxyapatite (Fig. 1) and they are referred to as bioceramics. Bioceramics
are defined as a class of ceramics that are used for repairing and replacing diseased
S. T. Aruna (B) · M. Shilpa
Surface Engineering Division, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, Bengaluru
560017,, KA, India
e-mail: aruna_reddy@nal.res.in
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
T. S. Santra and L. Mohan (eds.), Nanomaterials and Their Biomedical Applications,
Springer Series in Biomaterials Science and Engineering 16,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6252-9_7
175