Fabrication and investigation of high-quality glass-ceramic (GC)-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composite for regenerative medicine

The preparation of a glass-ceramic (GC)-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composite material is reported. Precursor GC powders were synthesised via sol-gel method at 600 °C. XRD analysis revealed the formation of sodium calcium silicate (Na₆Ca₃Si₆O₁₈) as a main constituent phase of GC powders. The cylindrical-shaped GC-PMMA composite samples with fractional GC content ranging from 75 to 95% were prepared via photopolymerization reaction. The largest compressive strength for the composites containing 90% of GC has been determined. The growth of ceramic layer on the surface of composites immersed into simulated body fluid (SBF) under static conditions was studied by ICP-OES, FE-SEM/EDX, FTIR and XRD techniques. The changes in the concentrations of Ca, Si and P after the dissolution indicate the degradation process of GC-PMMA composites. The structures of the resultant surface confirmed the formation of new ceramic layer on the surface of composite materials. FTIR and XRD analyses revealed the deposition of low-crystallinity calcium phosphate layer with the composition similar to that of the carbonated hydroxyapatite (cHAP) after the soaking in SBF.