In the proposed experiment, the maximum amount of cadmium substitution in l
ead hydroxyapatite accounts for about to 30 atom-%. The crystal structures
of PbHA at different degrees of cadmium substitution for lead (4.9, 10.0, 2
2.4 and 29.0% Cd atoms) have been investigated by X-ray powder pattern fitt
ing and P-31 MAS NMR. The site-occupancy factors of metal atoms clearly ind
icate a preference of cadmium for site 1 of the apatite structure, which is
more selective at low cadmium content. A progressive shift of the OH group
wards the center of the triangles formed by the site 2 metalshas been obse
rved with increasing cadmium content. The different environments of the pho
sphate group demonstrated by P-31 NMR spectroscopic data are discussed in r
elation to structural data.