Materials characterisation of hydroxyapatite ceramic fillers loaded PVA/PEG film derived from Laevistrombus Canarium

Abstract

A thin coating of Hydroxyapatite (HAp) on implants greatly enhances bone ingrowth and osseointegration. Developed a film made of 30 wt% Laevistrombus Canarium Seashell (LCS) HAp fillers, combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cross-linked with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed various functional groups including CH, C = C, C-O, Ca₃, PO₄, and C-Cl, in the LCS HAp/PVA/PEG film. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified the (hkl) parameters as (100), (111), (101), and (200) with a crystal size of the fillers measured at 10.15 nm. The dispersion and surface morphology of the film were examined using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis identified the chemical composition in atomic wt%, highlighting elements such as C, O, P, and Ca, with respective percentages of 19.04, 53.68, 12.33, and 21.04. Thermal stability was evaluated using Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Derivative Thermogravimetric analysis (DTG), which indicated that the thermal stability of the film slightly exceeds that of pure PVA and PEG. The yield tensile stress and modulus of elasticity of the film was found 5.35 MPa and 0.35 GPa, respectively. Lastly, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analysis provided insights into the surface texture, revealing a mean average roughness (Ra) of 12.28 μm for the film.