Elaboration and Characterization of Alumina-Tricalcium Phosphate Composites

The effect of -tricalcium phosphate additive on the alumina matrix was investigated. The sintering behaviour of the alumina tricalcium phosphate composites was characterized by using magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction, dilatometry, differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The mechanical properties of composites have been investigated by the Brazilian test. The produced alumina tricalcium phosphate composites with different percentages of tricalcium phosphate (10 wt%; 20 wt%; 40 wt% and 50 wt%) exhibited much better mechanical properties than the reported values of βtricalcium phosphate without alumina. The alumina tricalcium phosphate composites showed a higher rupture strength at 1600°C, which certainly increased with the alumina content and reached the optimum value with 90 wt%. The best mechanical properties of the composites were obtained after the sintering process at 1600°C for 1 hour. With different weight rations of alumina: tricalcium phosphate (50:50, 60:40 and 80:20), the performance of the composites was hindered by the formation of both cracks and intragranular porosity.