Fabrication and characterization of porous calcium polyphosphate scaffolds

Abstract

Porous calcium polyphosphate (CPP) scaffolds with different polymerization degree and crystalline phases were prepared, and
then analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Thermmogravimetry (TG) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Number average polymerization
degree was calculated by analyzing the calcining process of raw material Ca(H2PO4)2, as a polycondensation reaction. Amorphous CPP were prepared by the quenching from the melt of Ca(H2PO4)2 after calcining, and CPP with different polymerization degree was prepared by controlling the calcining time. Meanwhile,
CPP with the same polymerization degree was prepared to amorphous or different crystalline phases CPP which was made from
crystallization of amorphous CPP. In vitro degradation studies using 0.1 M of tris-buffered solution were performed to assess the effect of polymerization degree or
crystalline phases on mechanical properties and weight loss of the samples. With the increase of polymerization degree, the
weight loss during the degradation decreased, contrarily the strength of CPP increased. The degradation velocity of amorphous
CPP, α-CPP, β-CPP and γ-CPP with the same polymerization degree decreased in turn at the same period. The full weight loss
period of CPP can be controlled between 17 days and more than 1 year. The results of this study suggest that CPP ceramics
have potential applications for bone tissue engineering.