Powdery α-tricalcium phosphate [α-Ca
3(PO
4)
2] was treated up to 15 days in boiling aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide or calcium chloride with initial pH's in the range of 6-12.8. The compositional and structural changes of the phosphate treated were investigated by the chemical and X-ray analyses.
The changes were considered to be classified into the following two processes. The one is a hydration process (I) with a structural change to a nonstoichiometric hydroxyapatite (Ca/P molar ratio 1.50), and the other is a process (II) with an increase of the Ca/P ratio up to the stoichiometric value of 1.67, keeping the apatite structure.
Reaction I was accelerated by lowering the initial pH of the solution within the above pH range used here. The reaction is complete within 2h at pH 11.4 [H. Monma, T. Kanazawa,
Yogyo-Kyokai-Shi, 84, 209 (1976)], however, at 12.8 the completion of the reaction was not observed even after 15 days. It was considered that the process II is owing to an uptake of Ca
2+ from solution to solid part or a release of PO
43- from the solid. Increasing the concentration of Ca
2+ had a tendency to increase the reaction rate of II. When the solution contained Cl ions, the Cl ions were considered to be incorporated into the apatite structure. The product formed by the reaction I contained 4-5% H
2O. Water contents of the hydroxyapatites decreased in proportion to the Ca/P ratios. A similar relation was recognized between the thermal decomposition of the apatites and the Ca/P ratios.
Beta tricalcium phosphate, which is unchanged as far as the β-type is treated at pH 11.4 for 2h, could be hydrated by using conditions of low pH's (5.3-6.1) and boiling times of 6-38h.
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