A novel akermanite bioceramic: preparation and characteristics

Akermanite (Ca(2)MgSi(2)O(7)) ceramics are prepared by sintering akermanite powder compacts at 1370 C for 6 h. The sintering behavior and mechanical properties of akermanite ceramics are investigated. The bioactivity of akermanite ceramics is evaluated by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF), and hydroxyapatite (HAp) formation on the surface of akermanite ceramics after soaking is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the bending strength of akermanite ceramics can reach 176 MPa, the fracture toughness is 1.83 MPa m(1/2), and akermanite ceramics can induce HAp formation on their surface when soaked in SBF. Our results indicate that akermanite ceramics are bioactive, and possess improved mechanical properties compared with those of HAp ceramics and may be used as bioactive implant materials.