Characterization of in situ synthesized hydroxyapatite/polyetheretherketone composite materials

Hydroxyapatite/polyetheretherketone (HA/PEEK) composite materials have potentials for use as load-bearing orthopedic materials due to PEEK outstanding properties, which could overcome the disadvantages of currently used metallic and ceramic materials. In the study HA/PEEK composite materials were successfully prepared via an in situ process, for the first time, in order to improve the mechanical performance of the existing HA/PEEK composites. The structure of the lab-synthesized materials was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the mechanical performance was investigated by a tensile strength test. The results exhibit the strong bonding between hydroxyapatite fillers and PEEK matrix and good mechanical properties of the composites, suggesting that the in situ synthesized HA/PEEK composite materials are promising for orthopedic applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.