Effect of autoclaving and sintering on the formation of β-wollastonite

Bioactivity and Biocompatibility Properties of Sustainable Wollastonite Bioceramics from Rice Husk Ash/Rice Straw Ash: A Review

Recently, there has been an increase in interest in agricultural waste in scientific, technological, environmental, economic, and social contexts. The processing of rice husk ash/rice straw ash into biocompatible products—also known as biomaterials—used in biomedical implants is a technique that can enhance the value of agricultural waste. This method has effectively converted unprocessed agricultural waste into high-value products. Rice husk and straw are considered to be unwanted agricultural waste and are largely discarded because they pollute the environment. Because of the related components present in bone and teeth, this waste can produce wollastonite. Wollastonite is an excellent material for bone healing and implants, as well as tissue regeneration. The use of rice husk ash or rice straw ash in wollastonite production reduces the impact of agricultural waste on pollution and prompts the ensuing conversion of waste into a highly beneficial invention. The use of this agricultural waste in the fabrication of wollastonite using rice husk ash or rice straw ash was investigated in this paper. Wollastonite made from rice husk ash and rice straw ash has a fair chance of lowering the cost of bone and tooth repair and replacement, while having no environmental effects.

Effects of Mullite, Maghemite, and Silver Nanoparticles Incorporated in β-Wollastonite on Tensile Strength, Magnetism, Bioactivity, and Antimicrobial Activity

β-wollastonite (βW) has sparked much interest in bone defect recovery and regeneration. Biomaterial-associated infections and reactions between implants with human cells have become a standard clinical concern. In this study, a green synthesized βW, synthesized from rice husk ash and a calcined limestone precursor, was incorporated with mullite, maghemite, and silver to produce β wollastonite composite (βWMAF) to enhance the tensile strength and antibacterial properties. The addition of mullite to the βWMAF increased the tensile strength compared to βW. In vitro bioactivity, antibacterial efficacy, and physicochemical properties of the β-wollastonite and βWMAF were characterized. βW and βWMAF samples formed apatite spherules when immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 1 day. In conclusion, βWMAF, according to the tensile strength, bioactivity, and antibacterial activity, was observed in this research and appropriate for the reconstruction of cancellous bone defects.

Zirconia-containing wollastonite ceramics derived from biowaste resources for bone tissue engineering

Zirconia-containing wollastonite (CaSiO₃) ceramics with partial substitution of zirconia (1, 3 and 5 mol%) were prepared using eggshells and rice husk ash as source materials for calcium oxide and silica, respectively, through a sol-gel technique. The effect of incorporation of zirconia on in vitro bioactivity, mechanical properties, degradability and cytocompatibility of wollastonite was studied. Bioactivity was evaluated by in vitro assay using simulated body fluid while degradability was tested in Tris-HCl buffer solution for different time periods (1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 d) according to the ISO 10 993-14 standard. Human osteosarcoma (MG-63) cells were used to assess cytocompatibility with the MTT assay. X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to characterize the ceramics before and after in vitro studies. The results obtained showed that increasing the zirconia content in the wollastonite phase increases microhardness, compressive strength, bending strength and the elasticity modulus, while slightly decreasing the rate of formation of the hydroxyapatite layer. Moreover, the samples doped with zirconia had a lower degradation rate and it was noticed that cell viability is unaffected by the incorporation of zirconia.

Preliminary Synthesis of Calcium Silicates using Oil Palm Leaves and Eggshells

A new synthetic procedure is described for the synthesis of calcium silicate derivatives, using natural resources such as eggshell (ES) for calcium and oil palm leaves (OPL) for silica, which do not require prepurification. The reaction is performed by directly converting two weight ratio of the precursors, ES:3OPL and ES:6OPL, to dried-powder form by heat treatment at 900 °C for two hours. The results demonstrate that the concentration of the precursors has an effect on the morphology and crystallinity of the calcium silicate derivatives, mainly Ca2SiO4 and CaSiO3. X-ray diffraction results reveal that the reaction product obtained using a 1:3 ratio is quite pure, and mainly consisted of calcium silicate in the form of Ca2SiO4. The CaSiO3 was also identified in ES:6OPL, together with a small amount of excess non-reacted crystalline silica. Furthermore, a scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that both reaction products have a coarse surface. Copyright © 2020 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). 

CaSiO3-HAp Structural Bioceramic by Sol-Gel and SPS-RS Techniques: Bacteria Test Assessment

The article presents an original way of getting porous and mechanically strong CaSiO₃-HAp ceramics, which is highly desirable for bone-ceramic implants in bone restoration surgery. The method combines wet and solid-phase approaches of inorganic synthesis: sol-gel (template) technology to produce the amorphous xonotlite (Ca₆Si₆O₁₇·2OH) as the raw material, followed by its spark plasma sintering–reactive synthesis (SPS-RS) into ceramics. Formation of both crystalline wollastonite (CaSiO₃) and hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂) occurs “in situ” under SPS conditions, which is the main novelty of the method, due to combining the solid-phase transitions of the amorphous xonotlite with the chemical reaction within the powder mixture between CaO and CaHPO₄. Formation of pristine HAp and its composite derivative with wollastonite was studied by means of TGA and XRD with the temperatures of the “in situ” interactions also determined. A facile route to tailor a macroporous structure is suggested, with polymer (siloxane-acrylate latex) and carbon (fibers and powder) fillers being used as the pore-forming templates. Microbial tests were carried out to reveal the morphological features of the bacterial film Pseudomonas aeruginosa that formed on the surface of the ceramics, depending on the content of HAp (0, 20, and 50 wt%).

Synthesis of wollastonite from AlF3-rich silica gel and its hardening in the CO2 atmosphere

This work combines some aspects of eco-friendliness: consumption of toxic waste, cutback of energy consumption during the synthesis of the binding material, reduction of CO₂ emission by using less CaCO₃ in the raw meal, and consumption of carbon dioxide. In the study, the kinetics of two-step synthesis of wollastonite from CaO and AlF₃ production waste, namely, silica gel, its carbonisation process and the mechanical properties of obtained samples were investigated. According to XRD and DSC data, the optimal temperature in the mixture with CaO/(Al₂O₃ + SiO₂) = 1 for the hydrothermal synthesis of the wollastonite precursors is 130 °C: F⁻–containing compounds were bound into katoite and cuspidine, and portlandite reacted completely within 8 h. The optimal temperature for wollastonite formation is 900 °C, but fluormayenite, cuspidine, and the traces of larnite form as well. During the curing in the CO₂ atmosphere, wollastonite and larnite reacted completely and formed calcite, vaterite, and amorphous CaCO₃. Cuspidine also participates in the carbonisation process and, in addition to amorphous SiO_2, it releases fluorite, which contributes to the total compressive strength of the products. The values of the compressive strength (10–15 MPa) in the wollastonite-sand samples match the requirements for the belite and special low-heat cements.

Phase pure, high hardness, biocompatible calcium silicates with excellent anti-bacterial and biofilm inhibition efficacies for endodontic and orthopaedic applications

Here we report for the very first time the synthesis of 100% phase pure calcium silicate nanoparticles (CSNPs) of the α-wollastonite phase without using any surfactant or peptizer at the lowest ever reported calcination temperature of 850 °C. Further, the phase purity is confirmed by quantitative phase analysis. The nano-network like microstructure of the CSNPs is characterized by FTIR, Raman, XRD, FESEM, TEM, TGA, DSC etc. techniques to derive the structure property correlations. The performance efficacies of the CSNPs against gram-positive e.g., S. pyogenes and S. aureus (NCIM2127) and gram-negative e.g., E. coli (NCIM2065) bacterial strains are studied. The biocompatibility of the CSNPs is established by using the conventional mouse embryonic osteoblast cell line (MC3T3). In addition, the biofilm inhibition efficacies of two varieties of CSNPs e.g., CSNPs(W) and CSNPs(WC) are investigated. Further, the interconnection between ROS e.g., superoxide (O₂^.-) and hydroxyl radical (^.OH) generation capabilities of CSNPs and their biofilm inhibition efficacies is clearly established for the very first time. Finally, the mechanical responses of the CSNPs at the microstructural length scale are investigated by nanoindentation. The results confirm that the α-wollastonite phases present in CSNPs(W) and CSNPs(WC) possess extraordinarily high nanohardness and Young's moduli values. Therefore, these materials are well suited for orthopaedic and endodontic applications.

Bioactivity and Cell Compatibility of β-Wollastonite Derived from Rice Husk Ash and Limestone

The aim of this study was to prepare β-wollastonite using a green synthesis method (autoclaving technique) without organic solvents and to study its bioactivity. To prepare β-wollastonite, the precursor ratio of CaO:SiO₂ was set at 55:45. This mixture was autoclaved for 8 h and later sintered at 950 °C for 2 h. The chemical composition of the precursors was studied using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), in which rice husk ash consists of 89.5 wt % of SiO₂ in a cristobalite phase and calcined limestone contains 97.2 wt % of CaO. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns after sintering showed that only β-wollastonite was detected as the single phase. To study its bioactivity and degradation properties, β-wollastonite samples were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for various periods of time. Throughout the soaking period, the molar ratio of Ca/P obtained was in the range of 1.19 to 2.24, and the phase detected was amorphous calcium phosphate, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) and XRD. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that the peaks of the calcium and phosphate ions increased when an amorphous calcium phosphate layer was formed on the surface of the β-wollastonite sample. A cell viability and proliferation assay test was performed on the rice husk ash, calcined limestone, and β-wollastonite samples by scanning electron microscope. For heavy metal element evaluation, a metal panel that included As, Cd, Pb, and Hg was selected, and both precursor and β-wollastonite fulfilled the requirement of an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM F1538-03) standard specification. Apart from that, a degradation test showed that the loss of mass increased incrementally as a function of soaking period. These results showed that the β-wollastonite materials produced from rice husk ash and limestone possessed good bioactivity, offering potential for biomedical applications.