Fabrication of ceramic bioscaffolds from fly ash cenosphere by susceptor-assisted microwave sintering

Ka Wai Yeung, Chak Yin Tang (Corresponding Author), Ruien Hu, Chun Hei Lam, Wing Cheung Law, Gary Chi Pong Tsui, Xin Zhao, Jacky Kin Hung Chung

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cenospheres (CS) are ceramic hollow microspheres and have been used to prepare composite foams for applications such as medical implants. However, its potential standalone application in the biomedical field is not fully explored. Herein, a susceptor-assisted microwave (SMW) sintering approach was used for producing CS foam scaffolds. Owing to the hybrid heating mechanism offered by the SMW process, sintering of the low-dielectric cenospheres was realized. We found that sintering was initiated at a lower temperature (1100 °C) compared to conventional heating (1250 °C) as reported in the literature, probably due to the lower activation energy required by SMW sintering. The physical and compositional properties of the sintered CS specimens were examined, and in vitro studies were performed. The as-fabricated CS foam possessed minimal effect on cell viability. Cells migrated and adhered well within the pores of the specimens, which indicates the potential of the CS as scaffold materials for cell engineering applications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4410-4419
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of the European Ceramic Society
Volume42
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

Keywords

  • Ceramic bioscaffold
  • Fly ash cenospheres
  • Microwave sintering
  • Microwave susceptor
  • Porosity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Materials Chemistry

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