Material processing of a new calcium silicophosphate ceramic

Abstract The aim of this investigation was the synthesis of a new calcium silicophosphate ceramic by a powder metallurgy method combined with homogenization and heat treatment procedures. The chemical formulation and heat treatment temperatures were carefully selected bearing in mind information provided by the Ca2SiO4–7CaOP2O52SiO2 subsystem existing within the binary system of Ca3(PO4)2–Ca2SiO4. A single phase with a Ca2SiO4/Ca3(PO4)2 M ratio equal to 2/1 was synthetized from γ-dicalcium silicate and β-tricalcium phosphate previously synthetized. The reaction sintering process was followed by X-ray diffraction and Differential Thermal Analysis. The obtained ceramic was characterized by X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman and scanning electron microscopy with attached wavelength dispersive spectroscopy. At the light of the results a two-step synthesis conditions was used: heating at 1550 °C/3 h then liquid-nitrogen was quenched, ground and pressed; secondly, heating at 1300 °C/3 h and subsequent annealing at 1200 °C for 24 h.