The study of improving mechanical properties of porous HA ceramic scaffold by poly(DL-lactic acid) coating

The study adopts the method of impregnation of polyurethane sponge to produce highly porous hydroxyapatite(HA) ceramic scaffolds with a 3D interconnected structure and subsequently to coat the scaffolds with two different concentrations of poly(DL-lactic acid)(PDLLA) solution in order to improve the strength and toughness of scaffolds.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and compressive test are used to observe the microstructure and to measure mechanical properties of porous HA scaffolds coated by PDLLA solution.The effect of different concentrations of PDLLA solution is investigated on the coating thickness,microstructure and mechanical properties.The experimental results show that the compressive strength of porous HA bioceramics scaffold is improved markedly by applying the PDLLA coating with the maintenance of interconnection and porosity of the scaffold.