Continuous-flow precipitation of hydroxyapatite in ultrasonic microsystems

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Filipa Castro (Author) FEUP; Simon Kuhn (Author) Other; Klavs Jensen (Author) Other; António Ferreira (Author) FEUP; Fernando Rocha (Author) FEUP; António Vicente (Author) Other; José António Teixeira (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Chemical Engineering Journal

Vol. 215 No. January 2013

Pages: 979-987

ISSN: 1385-8947

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 52 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 56 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Chemical engineering

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Chemical engineering

Associated Projects

UI0511 - PROJECTO ESTRATÉGICO - UI 511 - 2013-2014

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-005-36Y

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2012.11.014

Abstract (EN): This paper describes the continuous-flow precipitation of hydroxyapatite Ca-5(PO4)(3)OH (HAp) in two ultrasonic microreactors using diluted aqueous solutions of calcium and phosphate at 37 degrees C. Precipitation of HAp was first carried out in a tubular microreactor immersed in an ultrasonic bath, where single-phase (laminar) flow and segmented gas-liquid flow were both evaluated. The single-phase flow study was then conducted in a novel microfluidic device developed at MIT. It consists of a Teflon stack microreactor with an integrated piezoelectric element (Teflon microreactor), thereby allowing the direct transmission of ultrasound to the reactor. Both microsystems produce single-phased calcium-deficient carbonated HAp under near-physiological conditions of temperature and pH. In addition, particle aggregation and primary particle size were significantly reduced in the segmented-flow tubular microreactor and in the Teflon microreactor. The as-prepared particles mostly consisted of rod-like shape nanoparticles with dimensions below 100 nm in length and around 20 nm in width. Further, the microreactors used yielded HAp particles with improved characteristics, namely higher crystallinity and less carbonate contamination, when compared to the HAp particles produced in a stirred tank batch reactor.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9