Mechanism of apatite formation on pure titanium treated with alkaline solution

The mechanism of bone-like apatite formation on the surface of pure titanium pretreated with NaOH solution is still being investigated. The apatite formation may depend on the solution that is used. In the present study, several types of solutions such as simulated body fluid (SBF), calcium aqueous solution (CAS), and phosphate aqueous solution (PAS) were used to investigate bone-like apatite formation on alkali-treated titanium. In order to observe the effect of hydrolysis on the apatite formation, experiments of pretreated titanium immersed in distilled water before the immersion in SBF were also conducted. The results showed that the mechanism of apatite formation was the hydrolysis reaction of sodium titanate which induced the apatite formation. The pre-precipitation of either calcium or phosphate could prevent the apatite formation on the surface of alkaline treated titanium.