Apatite-forming ability of glass-ceramic apatite–wollastonite – polyethylene composites: effect of filler content

Abstract

The bioactivity of a range of glass-ceramic apatite–wollastonite (A–W) – polyethylene composites (AWPEXs) with glass-ceramic A–W volume percentages ranging from 10 to 50, has been investigated in an acellular simulated body fluid (SBF) with ion concentrations similar to those of human blood plasma. The formation of a biologically active apatite layer on the composite surface after immersion in SBF was demonstrated by thin-film X-ray diffraction (TF-XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). An apatite layer was formed on all the composites, with the rate of formation increasing with an increase in glass-ceramic A–W percentage. For composites with glass-ceramic A–W filler contents ≥30 vol %, the apatite layer was formed within 12 h of immersion, which is a comparable time for apatite formation on monolithic glass-ceramic A–W. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) demonstrated that the apatite formation on AWPEX samples with 50 vol % filler content occurred in a manner similar to that seen on pure glass-ceramic A–W, in that the calcium, silicon, and magnesium ion concentrations increased and, conversely, a decrease was observed in the phosphate ion concentration. These results indicate that a suitable in vitro response was achieved on a composite incorporating particulate glass-ceramic A–W with a particularly favorable response being observed on the AWPEX sample with 50 vol % filler content.