Fabrication of composite scaffolds using hydroxyapatite, epoxy resin and silica for load-bearing applications

Abstract

Due to their remarkable properties, epoxy resin-based composites are now commonly used in the biomedical field. In this study, a novel composite comprising hydroxyapatite (HAp), silica (SiO₂), and epoxy resin was produced to evaluate its possibility as a biomaterial. To create a mixture utilizing glass plates, different percentages (1.25%, 2.5%, 3.75%, and 5%) of silica (SiO₂) with hydroxyapatite (HAp) were reinforced into an epoxy resin matrix through a hand-lay-up process. Wet chemical synthesis of hydroxyapatite was performed before the processing of the composite materials. Using a variety of equations, the crystallographic properties of the produced hydroxyapatite (HAp) were evaluated. The produced scaffolds were examined using a universal testing machine (UTM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a density meter, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Tests in SBF solution, water, and various pH ranges were also used to assess the scaffolds’ absorption and degradation properties. Based on the tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), percentage of elongation at break (EB), bending strength (BS), and bending modulus (BM), 2.5% silica added composite was found to be the ideal quantity of silica. In comparison with the controll sample, the most effective mixture (2.5% silica + 47.5% HAp + 50% epoxy resin) exhibited improvements of 329.77% and 107.17% in the BM and the BS, respectively. The degradation temperature of the manufactured composites up to 690 °C was evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).