Characterization of hydroxyapatite- and bioglass-316L fibre composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

To improve the mechanical properties,of pure hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics and pure 45S5 bioglasses, HA-316L fibre composites and bioglass 45S5-316L fibre composites were produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 950 and 850 degreesC, respectively. While the HA phase in the HA-316L fibre composites did not decompose after the SPS process, microcracks were found around the 316L fibres in the composites. Consequently, the HA-316L fibre composites could not effectively improve the mechanical properties of the pure RA ceramics. In contrast, the bioglass 45S5-316L fibre composites showed no,microcracks around the 316L fibres and thus exhibited bending strengths of up to 115 MPa. (C) 2003 Elsevier BY. All rights reserved.