Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a bioactive ceramic that allows bone growth and revascularization of the area of implantation trough the formation of chemical bonding with the mineral phase of the bones. The aim of this work was to obtain porous blocks of HA by the gelcasting foams method without atmosphere control. The gelcasting foams process consists in the incorporation of a dispersed gaseous phase, with the help of a surfactant, inside a ceramic suspension containing the ceramic powder, water and gelation agents. The gelation system is composed by one monomer, acrylamide, and one comonomer, methylenebisacrylamide (MBAM). The effect of the accelerator and initiator amounts on the induction time, porosity, pore size distribution and permeability was evaluated. It was possible to control the porosity through the variation of the induction time by changing the amounts of reactions initiator and accelerator, and the absence of controlled atmosphere did not impede the preparation of HA porous blocks.
bioceramics; gelcasting foams; permeability; atmosphere; polimerization
