Mechanical Properties of Hydroxyapatite Composites Reinforced With Hydroxyapatite Whiskers

Abstract

Sintering and mechanical behavior of pure and hydroxyapatite (HA) whisker reinforced HA composites were investigated in this work. Pure and composite samples were prepared by using a commercial powder and whiskers prepared by molten salt synthesis. The dry-pressed samples were sintered in the 800 and 1300°C range. The effect of whisker-addition on the mechanical properties of HA was investigated through compression and hardness testing. Compressive strength and fracture strain were observed to increase by the addition of whiskers.