Coralina® HAP-200 (coralline hydroxyapatite obtained by hydrothermal treatment of marine corals) and POVIAC® (polymeric matrix based on PVAc), commercial trade marks were mixed with a natural product from the Cuban sea costs, i.e. calcium carbonate from Porites Porites coral, to obtain a novel bioactive composite with potential use as bone restoration material. The samples were characterized by physical-chemical (FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS) and mechanical studies. It was shown that there is no chemical interaction between the inorganic filler and the polymer matrix, each conserving the original properties of the raw materials. The studied formulation had a compressive strength similar to that reported for trabecular bone. Scanning electron microscopy examination revealed that the addition of CaCO3 induces a change on the morphologic structure of the composite obtained after 30 days of SBF immersion. These composites generate novel biomaterials capable of promoting the deposition of a new phase, a Ca-P layer due to the bioactivity of a Ca2+ precursors.
polyvinyl acetate; hydroxyapatite coralline; calcium carbonate; composite
