Role of the glass phase in bioactive glass-ceramics

Glass-ceramics, or composites with a glass-ceramic matrix prepared by controlled crystallization, almost invariably contain a residual glass phase. A suitable composition for the residual glass phase of bioactive glass-ceramics can be found approximately and controlled on the basis of calculation of a structural parameter Y, which in the simplified concept of the glass structure corresponds to the mean number of bridging oxygens per polyhedron in the glass lattice.