Fabrication and Evaluation of the Mechanical and Bioactivity Properties of a Nano Structure-hardystonite Scaffold by the Space Holder Method

In the recent three decades, Ca-Si-based ceramics have received great attention as an appropriate candidate for tissue engineering applications due to their remarkable bioactivity, biocompatibility, and good bone formation ability. Hardystonite is currently recognized as a bioactive and biocompatible bio-ceramic material for a range of medical applications. In the present study, for the first time, hardystonite powder and 3D hardystonite scaffold with interconnected porosity were produced using mechanical alloying synthesis and the space holder method, respectively. It was found that pure nano-crystalline hardystonite powder formation occurred following 10 h of milling and subsequent sintering at 800 C° for 3 h. The measured crystallite size of particles and the hardystonite scaffold was found to be 28 ± 2 and 79 ± 1 nm, respectively. The results also showed that nanostructured hardystonite scaffolds with the compressive strength and modulus of 0.35 ± 0.02 and 10.49 ± 0.21 MPa, the porosity of 81 ± 1% , and pores size range of 200–500 μm were successfully synthesized after sintering at 1250 °C for 3 h. During the sintering process, NaCl (80wt%, 300-420 µm), as the spacer agent, gradually evaporated from the system,producing porosity in the scaffold. Simulated body fluid (SBF) was used to evaluate the apatite formation ability of the scaffolds. The results showed that the formation of an apatite layer on the scaffold surface could be considered as a bioactivity criterion.