Material processing of a new calcium silicophosphate ceramic

The aim of this investigation was the synthesis of a new calcium silicophosphate ceramic by a powder metallurgy method combined with homogenization and heat treatment procedures. The chemical formulation and heat treatment temperatures were carefully selected bearing in mind information provided by the Ca2SiO4-7CaOP(2)O(5)2SiO(2) subsystem existing within the binary system of Ca-3(PO4)(2)-Ca2SiO4. A single phase with a Ca2SiO4/Ca-3(PO4)(2) M ratio equal to 2/1 was synthetized from gamma-dicalcium silicate and P-tricalcium phosphate previously synthetized. The reaction sintering process was followed by X-ray diffraction and Differential Thermal Analysis. The obtained ceramic was characterized by X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman and scanning electron microscopy with attached wavelength dispersive spectroscopy. At the light of the results a two-step synthesis conditions was used: heating at 1550 degrees C/3 h then liquid-nitrogen was quenched, ground and pressed; secondly, heating at 1300 degrees C/3 h and subsequent annealing at 1200 degrees C for 24 h. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.