In vitro study of the proliferation and growth of human fetal osteoblasts on Mg and Si co-substituted tricalcium phosphate ceramics.

The objective of this work was to study the feasibility of the solid state sintering, a conventional ceramic processing method, to obtain Mg and Si co-substituted tricalcium phosphate bioceramics and composites containing diopside. A series of new Ca (PO ) based ceramics has been prepared from attrition milled mixtures of synthetic Ca (PO ) and CaMg(SiO ) powders, isostatically pressed and sintered at 1250-1300°C. Materials containing 0, 1, and 5 wt % of CaMg(SiO ) were constituted by β + α - Ca (PO ) solid solutions while the material containing 60 wt % of CaMg(SiO ) was a constituted by β- Ca (PO ) and CaMg(SiO ) .

Effect of Mg and Si co-substitution on microstructure and strength of tricalcium phosphate ceramics.

Magnesium and silicon co-doped tricalcium phosphate (TCP) ceramics with compositions corresponding to 0, 5 and 10wt% CaMg(SiO3)2 in the system Ca3(PO4)2-CaMg(SiO3)2 were obtained by conventional sintering of compacted mixtures of Ca3(PO4)2, MgO, SiO2 and CaCO3 powders at temperatures between 1100 and 1450°C. Microstructural analyses were performed by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Major phases in the obtained ceramics were β- or α+β-tricalcium phosphate containing Mg and Si in solid solution.