Fabrication of microporous calcite block from calcium hydroxide compact under carbon dioxide atmosphere at high temperature

Fabrication of calcite blocks from gypsum blocks by compositional transformation based on dissolution-precipitation reactions in sodium carbonate solution

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) has been used as a bone substitute, and is a precursor for carbonate apatite, which is also a promising bone substitute. However, limited studies have been reported on the fabrication of artificial calcite blocks. In the present study, cylindrical calcite blocks (ϕ6×3mm) were fabricated by compositional transformation based on dissolution-precipitation reactions using different calcium sulfate blocks as a precursor. In the dissolution-precipitation reactions, both CaSO₄·2H₂O and CaSO₄ transformed into calcite, a polymorph of CaCO₃, while maintaining their macroscopic structure when immersed in 1mol/L Na₂CO₃ solution at 80°C for 1week. The diametral tensile strengths of the calcite blocks formed using CaSO₄·2H₂O and CaSO₄ were 1.0±0.3 and 2.3±0.7MPa, respectively. The fabrication of calcite blocks using CaSO₄·2H₂O and CaSO₄ proposed in this investigation may be a useful method to produce calcite blocks because of the self-setting ability and high temperature stability of gypsum precursors.

Fabrication of porous calcite using chopped nylon fiber and its evaluation using rats

Although porous calcite has attracted attention as bone substitutes, limited studies have been made so far. In the present study, porous calcite block was fabricated by introducing chopped nylon fiber as porogen. Ca(OH)2 powder containing 10 wt% chopped nylon fiber was compacted at 150 MPa, and sintered to burn out the fiber and to carbonate the Ca(OH)2 under stream of 1:2 O2-CO2. Sintering of Ca(OH)2 at 750 °C or lower temperature resulted in incomplete burning out of the fiber whereas sintering at 800 °C or higher temperature resulted in the formation of CaO due to the thermal decomposition of Ca(OH)2. However, sintering at 770 °C resulted in complete burning out of the fiber and complete carbonation of Ca(OH)2 to calcite without forming CaO. Macro- and micro-porosities of the porous calcite were approximately 23 and 16%, respectively. Diameter of the macropores was approximately 100 μm which is suitable for bone tissue penetration. Porous calcite block fabricated by this method exhibited good tissue response when implanted in the bone defect in femur of 12-weeks-old rat. Four weeks after implantation, bone bonded on the surface of calcite. Furthermore, bone tissue penetrated interior to the macropore at 8 weeks. These results demonstrated the good potential value of porous calcite as artificial bone substitutes.