SBIR Phase I: Scalable Synthesis and Processing of Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发生产适用于承重骨科和牙科应用的纳米结构羟基磷灰石（HAP）生物材料的商业数量的工艺和控制。 尽管羟基磷灰石的骨传导性在许多临床应用中引起了兴趣，但常规加工的羟基磷灰石材料受到其差的烧结性和由于差的相纯度和均匀性而缺乏机械强度的限制。 通过在HAP的化学沉淀过程中控制物理过程，例如反应物的混合方法、颗粒回收和合成条件，HAP的结晶度、化学计量和颗粒形态将针对机械强度进行优化。 针对机械强度优化的羟基磷灰石将是纳米晶体，并具有增加的化学和热稳定性;这些特性将导致增强的烧结性和最小的晶粒生长。 结果，将获得具有上级化学均匀性、微观结构均匀性、超细晶粒尺寸和最小化瑕疵尺寸的完全致密的纳米晶HAP整料。 在最终结果中，所产生的纳米晶HAP整料将提供上级压缩性能。（900 MPa）和弯曲（200 MPa）强度以及断裂韧性（1.3 MPam 1/2）。商业上，这些纳米结构材料可以形成结构，并用于通常用于验证矫形植入物的实验模型中。更好的成骨细胞附着、增殖和矿化。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop processes and controls for producing commercial quantities of nanostructured hydroxyapatite (HAP) biomaterials suitable for load bearing orthopedic and dental applications. Though hydroxyapatite's osteoconductivity has generated interest in many clinical applications, conventionally processed hydroxyapatite materials have been limited by their poor sinterability and lack of mechanical strength attributed to poor phase purity and homogeneity. By controlling physical processes such as the method of mixing of reactants, particle recovery and synthesis conditions during the chemical precipitation of HAP, the crystallinity, stoichiometry and particle morphology of HAP will be optimized for mechanical strength. Hydroxyapatite optimized for mechanical strength will be nanocrystalline and possess increased chemical and thermal stability; these properties will lead to enhanced sinterability and minimal grain growth. As a result, fully dense, nanocrystalline HAP monoliths possessing superior chemical homogeneity, microstructural uniformity, ultrafine grain sizes and minimized flaw sizes will be achieved. In the final result, the nanocrystalline HAP monoliths produced will provide superior compressive (900 MPa) and bending (200 MPa) strengths as well as fracture toughness (1.3 MPam1/2).Commercially, these nanostructured materials can be formed into constructs and utilized in experimental models commonly employed to validate orthopedic implants.Nanostructured hydroxyapatites will contribute to better osteoblast attachment, proliferation and mineralization.