Deposition of hydroxyapatite on SiC nanotubes in simulated body fluid

Taguchi, Tomitsugu; Miyazaki, Toshiki*; Iikubo, Satoshi*; Yamaguchi, Kenji

SiC nanotubes can become candidate reinforcement materials for dental and orthopedic implants due to their light weight and excellent mechanical properties. However, it has not been reported about the development of bioactive SiC materials. In this study, hydroxyapatites were found to on SiC nanotubes treated with NaOH and subsequently HCl solution after soaking in simulated body fluid. On the other hand, hydroxyapatites did not deposit on as-received SiC nanotubes, the SiC nanotubes with NHOH solution treatment and SiC bulk materials with NaOH and subsequently HCl solution treatment. Therefore, we succeeded in the development of bioactive SiC nanotubes by downsizing SiC materials to nanometer size and treating with NaOH and subsequently HCl solutions for the first time.