Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocomposite HA/α-Al₂O₃ Sol-Gel Powders for Biomedical Applications

The calcium phosphate nanostructured bioceramics and nanocomposites with calcium phosphate matrix are subjects of research and have raised scientific, political, industrial and commercial interest because these biomaterials present differentiated properties from microporosity, bioactivity and cell adhesion on the surface of grain and micropores compared to conventional biomaterials. This work aimed at the wet synthesis of a nanostructured hydroxyapatite bone matrix for subsequent preparation of nanocomposite hydroxyapatite/α-Al2O3 sol-gel powders, at concentrations 1, 2, 3 and 5% in volume of nanocrystalline α-Al2O3 dispersed in inter-intragranular position in the hydroxyapatite matrix. The method used for the preparation of HA/α-Al2O3 nanocomposite powders was high-energy attrition milling. This method allows obtaining nanocomposite powders formed by fine particles with sizes smaller than 100nm. The technique of scanning electron microscopy served for observation of morphology, microstructure and nanostructure. The X-ray diffractometry, laser particle analysis method and differential thermal analysis technique were used to identify the phases, particle sizes and thermal behavior for nanostructured powders retrieved from the attrition milling.