Hydroxyapatite/bioactive glass functionally graded materials (FGM) for bone tissue engineering

In this work, HA/bioactive glass Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) are obtained for the first time by means of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Two series of highly dense 5 layered products, namely FGMS1 and FGMS2, are prepared under optimized SPS conditions, i.e. 1000 degrees C/2 min/16 MPa and 800 degrees C/2 min/50 MPa, respectively, using a die with varying cross section. Results arising from XRD, SEM, mechanical and biological characterization in SBF, evidence that lower temperature and higher-pressure levels used for FGMS2 samples provide better materials in terms of microstructure, compactness, hardness, elastic modulus and in vitro bioactivity. Indeed, a fully sintered and crack-free microstructure with no crystallisation at the top layer (100% bioactive glass) is correspondingly produced. The obtainment of such FGMs is quite promising, since it permits to vary the relative volume fractions of the two constituents and, consequently, tailor the biological response for specific clinical applications.