Effect of the addition of t-ZrO₂ on the material properties of β-TCP/PCL composites

Using poly-methyl methacrylate as a pore-forming agent, porous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/t-ZrO₂ composites were fabricated depending on the volume percentages (vol.%) of t-ZrO₂ powder. In the porous sintered bodies, hybrid pores, about 20 and 200 μm in diameter, were homogenously dispersed in the β-TCP/t-ZrO₂ matrix and showed good interconnection. On the other hand, β-TCP-(t-ZrO₂)/polycaprolactone (PCL) composites were fabricated by the melt infiltration process using porous β-TCP/t-ZrO₂ bodies. The relative density of the β-TCP-(t-ZrO₂)/PCL composites increased as the vol.% of t-ZrO₂ increased and its maximum value was about 98.6%. However, the hardness, bending strength and elastic modulus of β-TCP-(t-ZrO₂)/PCL composites decreased due to the low densification of porous β-TCP/t-ZrO₂ bodies as the volume percentages of t-ZrO₂ content increased. The values (using 20 vol.% of t-ZrO₂) were 11.4 Hv, 25.5 MPa and 17.2 GPa, respectively.