Glass-crystalline materials in the system P2O5-CaO-ZnO-Ti

Calcium-phosphate ceramic and glasses in combination with titanium and tita nium alloys could be successfully used in clinical practice. In the present work the interaction between titanium and phosphate glasses from the syste m P2O5-CaO-ZnO is investigated. The precursors used are NH4H4PO4, CaCO3, Zn O and Ti. The initial glasses in the system P2O5-CaO-ZnO are synthesized by melting in corundum crucibles. The thermal treatment of samples is perform ed in the temperature range from 800 to 1250 degreesC for 20 min prepared b y several variants of contact between initial phases: (i) homogenized mixtu re of glassy powder and titanium powder; (ii) a monolithic glass in contact with titanium plate; (iii) packets from bulk titanium substrate and powder ed phosphate glass mixed with Ti or Ca-3(PO4)(2). For the characterization of the specimens the following methods are used: X-ray diffraction (XRD), i nfrared (IR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is established that the obtained final products present glass-crystalline pol yphase materials containing different crystal phosphates, titanium phosphid e, TiO2, TiO and titanium. As a result of the solid state reaction between the metal and phosphate glass a transition region is found. The applied tec hnique of preparation is an initial step towards the development of gradien t materials with controlled properties. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.