TITLE:
Sol-gel bioceramic material from bentonite clay
AUTHORS:
Enobong R. Essien, Luqman A. Adams, Rafiu O. Shaibu, Aderemi Oki
KEYWORDS:
Bioceramic; Sol-Gel; Monolith; Bentonite Clay; Silica
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering,
Vol.6 No.3,
March
12,
2013
ABSTRACT: Bioceramic
material of the quaternary system; SiO2- CaO-Na2O-P2O5 that has composition similar to Bio- glass? 45S5 was prepared by the
sol-gel method from locally obtained bentonite clay (BTC). The monolith
obtained was sintered at 1000?C for 2 h to
facilitate densification and phase transformation. X-ray diffraction (XRD)
analysis revealed the presence of sodium calcium silicate, Na2Ca2Si3O9 as major crystal phase, and another secondary orthorhombic phase, NaCaPO4.
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic investigation confirmed the
presence of Si-O-Si bonds and a crystalline phosphate in the glass network.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a network of micropores and
interconnected macropores. Overall, the material displays features amenable for
possible utilization in tissue engineering scaffolds.