Optimization of Bioglass® Scaffold Fabrication Process

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Vol. 94; no. 12; pp. 4184 - 4190
• Main Authors: Chen, Qizhi, Mohn, Dirk, Stark, Wendelin J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Columbus Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2011; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Bioglass; Ceramic sintering; Cracks; Foams; Glass; High temperature; Mechanical properties; Nanostructure; Optimization; Replication; Scaffolds; Sintering (powder metallurgy)
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2011.04766.x

The production of mechanically reliable scaffolds from bioceramics for use in bone tissue engineering remains challenging. This paper describes the establishment of optimal processing parameters of Bioglass® scaffolds using the replication/slurry‐dip‐coating technique, based on theoretical design and experimental investigation. The foams fabricated under the optimized conditions, i.e., 5–20 μm particles and sintering at 1000°C–1100°C for 1–2 h, showed reproducible mechanical properties that could be predicted by Gibson and Ashby's theory. Excessively small (nano‐sized) or overly large (>30 μm) particles both resulted in poor quality scaffolds with unsatisfactory mechanical performance, due to a high population of microcracks in struts and poor fusion between particles during sintering, respectively. In conclusion, a mechanically reliable scaffold can be achieved using Bioglass® and the replication/slurry‐dip‐coating technique, provided that the particle size of the Bioglass powder is within the range of 5–20 μm and an appropriate sintering program (1000°C–1100°C, 1–2 h) is used.