Formation of a bone apatite-like layer on the surface of porous hydroxyapatite ceramics

Phosphoric acid solution was used to react with commercial hydroxyapatite (HA) powders to demonstrate the possibility of converting HA to non-stoichiometric apatite and thus to treat porous HA ceramics, to form a thin bone-apatite like layer on the HA ceramic surface. Such a carbonate-containing non-stoichiometric apatite "bioceramic" would be more efficient in bone bonding or bone formation, due to its analogy to natural bone apatite.