Deposition of hydroxyapatite on SiC nanotubes in simulated body fluid

Taguchi, Tomitsugu; Miyazaki, Toshiki*; Iikubo, Satoshi*; Igawa, Naoki   ; Asaoka, Hidehito  

SiC nanotubes can become candidate reinforcement materials for dental and orthopedic implants due to their light weight and excellent mechanical properties. However, the development of bioactive SiC materials has not been reported. In this study, hydroxyapatites were found on SiC nanotubes treated with NaOH and subsequent 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 subsequent 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 subsequent HCl solutions for the first time.