Flower-like agglomerates of hydroxyapatite crystals formed on an egg-shell membrane

Flower-like hydroxyapatite agglomerates formed on the upper side and lower side of an egg-shell membrane were intensively investigated using a uniquely designed crystallizer. First the ion driving force was calculated in theory. In addition the influences of various factors, such as temperature, pH value, and holding time, on the morphology and crystallinity of the agglomerates were studied in detail by means of FESEM, TEM and XRD. It was found that flower-like hydroxyapatite agglomerates with high crystallinity can be produced under higher temperature, larger pH value, and moderated holding time. The information generated is relevant to the formation process of bone. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.