Enhanced mechanical strength of hydroxyapatite nanorods reinforced with polyethylene

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanostructures may be an advanced candidate in biomedical applications for an apatite substitute of bone and teeth than other form of HAp. In contrast, well-defined size and shape control in synthesizing HAp nanostructures is always difficult. In this study, hydroxyapatite nanorods (HAp NRs) were prepared by simple hydrothermal method with controlling the reaction time without using any surfactant or templating agents. The nanostructure clearly depicts the growth stages of the HAp NRs by increasing the reaction time. The synthesized HAp has the rod like morphology with uniform size distribution with the aspect ratio of about 8–10. Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) images show that the growth direction of the HAp is parallel to the (001) plane. The interplanar distances measured in segments (fringes) of the HRTEM micrograph were ~0.35 nm, corresponding to the interplanar spacing of the (002) plane of the hexagonal HAp. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements indicate that the improved crystallinity of the HAp by increasing the reaction time. The mechanical studies reveal that the improved tensile strength and the abrasion resistance are observed for the HAp nanorods reinforcing with high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE).