Characteristic of polypropylene nanocomposite material reinforcement with hydroxyapatite for bone replacement

Purpose: Human bone suffered some degeneration due to age and accidents; therefore, there are many interests in the prepared synthetic bone with properties nearer to natural bone. The present study prepared a nanocomposite of polypropylene reinforced with different weight fraction of Nano hydroxyapatite (HAp) to be used as a bone replacement with good biological properties that enhanced the growth of osteoplastic cells and enhance the prevention of clots and coagulates creation. Design/methodology/approach: Nanocomposite from polypropylene reinforced with different weight fraction of Hydroxyapatite (HAp) (1,2 and 3) % prepared by first dispersion Nano hydroxyapatite insolvent and then mixing with a pellet of polypropylene by the twin-screw extrusion process, the current research study the surface properties ( atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle test) Moreover, it studied the characteristics of prepared nanocomposite materials (Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)). Findings: The AFM results show the surface roughness decreased with increasing content of HAp, which diminished the chance of creation clots and coagulates on it. The contact angle results referred to polypropylene behaviour transformed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic with addition HAp that permission to grow the osteoplastic cell on it, so the healing process is accelerated. Moreover, the FE-SEM images revealed uniform distribution and good bonding between polypropylene and Hydroxyapatite. The thermal properties were measured by the DSC test showed the melting temperature, and the enthalpy of melting (indicated to increase the crystalline structure per cent) are increased with increasing the percentage of Hydroxyapatite. Research limitations/implications: This research studied the characteristics of nanocomposite materials prepared by three steps (dispersion by ultrasonic device, manually mixed and melting and mixing by twin extruder) which can be used as a bone replacement. However, the main limitation was the uniform distribution of nano-hydroxyapatite within the matrix. In a further study, the cytotoxic test can be tested to study the effect of prepared nanocomposite on living cells’ growth. Practical implications: The interest object is how to connect among different properties to prepared bone replacement with good properties and biocompatibility that made able to stimulate the growth and healing process. Originality/value: The nano-hydroxyapatite is a biomaterial that has a composition similar to the natural mineral phase of the bone and does not have any negative effect, which enhanced the growth of osteoplastic cells and decreased the clots and coagulates creation; therefore, nano-hydroxyapatite is used to decrease the surface roughness which decreased the chance of coagulation creation and to enhance the hydrophilic properties