Effects of sintering temperature on the compressive mechanical properties of collagen/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HA) porous scaffolds were prepared by a template method and fabricated using either collagen (COL) or COL/HA particles. The sintering temperature was varied to discover the sintering effects on the mechanical properties of the scaffold. It was found that fabrication of pure HA scaffolds with COL or COL/HA particles introduced a distinct layer or phase, causing the fabricated scaffolds to be strengthened and their mechanical properties to be improved. Moreover, it was found that higher sintering temperatures also enhanced the mechanical properties of fabricated HA porous composite scaffolds by reducing porosity.