Biomaterials Lec 7

 Ceramics can be defined as solid compounds that
are formed by the application of heat, and sometimes

heat and pressure.
 Ceramics are also compounds between metallic and
nonmetallic elements; and associated with the
covalent and ionic bonding.
They are most frequently oxides, nitrides, and
carbides ceramics. For example, most common
ceramic materials known as engineering ceramics
include aluminum oxide (alumina, Al2O3), silica
(SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon nitride
(Si3N4).
 In addition, what some refer to as the traditional ceramics
those composed of clay minerals (i.e., porcelain), as well as
cement and glass. With regard to the mechanical behavior,
ceramic materials are typically stiff, strong, very hard and
exhibited extreme brittleness (lack of the ductility) and are
highly susceptible to fracture. Ceramic can be classified into:
 1. Domestic ceramics (porcelain, china ware and cement).
 2. Natural ceramics (stones and rocks).
 3. Engineering ceramics (oxides, nitrides, and carbides).
 4. Glasses (glass and glass-ceramic).
 5. Electronic ceramics (ferrites and semiconductor).
 6. Smart ceramics (piezoelectric ceramics, ferroelectric
ceramics).
Ceramics Microstructure
Crystalline solids exist as either single crystals or
polycrystalline solids.
A single crystal is a solid in which the periodic and the
repeated arrangement of atoms is perfect and extends
throughout the entirety of the specimen without
interruption.
A polycrystalline solid, fig. 1, is comprised of a
collection of many single crystals, termed the grains,
separated from one another by areas of disorder known
as the grain boundaries.
 Typically, in ceramics the grains are in the range of 1 to 50
μm and are visible only under a microscope.
 The shape and size of grains, together with the presence of
porosity, the second phases and their distribution describe
what is termed the microstructure.
 Many of the properties of ceramics are microstructure-
dependent.
 In most ceramics, more than one phase is present, with each
phase having its own structure, composition, and properties.
 Control of the type, size, distribution, and the amount of
these phases within material provides a means to control
properties.
 The microstructure of a ceramic is often a result of way it
was processed, for example, hot pressed ceramics often have
very few pores. This may not be the case in sintered
materials.
 Ceramics used for repair and replacement of diseased and damaged parts
of skeletal systems are named as bio ceramics.
 Ceramics are used as parts of the musculoskeletal system, dental and
orthopedic implants, orbital and middle ear implants, cardiac valves,
coatings to improve the biocompatibility of metallic implants.
 Advantages to Bioceramics:
 • High biocompatibility.
 • Less stress shielding.
 • No disease transmission.
 • High compression strength.
 • Wear & corrosion resistance.
 • Low thermal and electrical conductivity.
 • Can be highly polished.
 • Unlimited material supply.
 • Inert.
 Bioceramics are defined as a ceramic used as a
biomaterial ceramics for the repair and reconstruction of
human body parts. There are many applications for
bioceramics; currently the most important is in implants
such as alumina hip prostheses.
 Alumina is classified as an inert bioceramic because it
has very low reactivity in the human body. However,
bioactive materials have the ability to bond directly with
bone . The advantages are:
 • Earlier stabilization of the implant.
 • Longer functional life.
 Disadvantage of Bioceramics:
 • Brittleness.
 • Low strength in tension.
 • Low fracture toughness.
 • High modulus (mismatched with bone).
 • Difficult to fabricate.
 • Susceptibility to microcracks.
 • Not resilient.
 The biodegradable (resorbable) ceramics are used
for applications such as
 - Drug delivery systems.
 - Repairing of damaged or diseased bone, bone loss,
 - Filling spaced vacated by bone screws.
 - Repairing herniated discs.
 - Repairing of maxillofacial and dental defects.
 Bio-ceramics may be:
 1- Bioinert like Alumina (Al2O3), Zirconia (ZrO2);
 2- Resorbable like tri-calcium phosphate (TCP);
 3- Bioactive like Hydroxyapatite, bioactive glasses,
and glass-ceramics;
 4- Porous for tissue in-growth (hydroxyapatite-coated
metals, alumina) of the jaw bone.
 Applications include: Replacement for hips, knees,
teeth, tendons and ligaments, and repair for
periodontal disease, maxillofacial reconstruction,
augmentation and stabilization, spinal fusion and bone
fillers after tumor surgery.
 Carbon coatings are thrombo-resistant and are used
for prosthetic heart valves.
 The most frequently used ceramic implant materials
include aluminum oxides, calcium phosphates, and
apatites and graphite. Glasses have also been developed
for medical applications.
 The use of ceramics was motivated by:
 (i) their inertness in the body,
 (ii) their formability into a variety of shapes and
porosities,
 (iii) their high compressive strength, and
 (iv) some cases their excellent wear characteristics.
 Ceramic implant:
 The requirements for a ceramic implant depend on what
its role in the body will be. For example, the requirements
for a total hip prosthesis (THP) will be different from
those for a middle ear implant. However, there are two
basic criteria:
 • The ceramic should be compatible with the physiological
environment.
 • Its mechanical properties should match those of the
tissue being replaced.
 Applications of ceramics are in some cases limited
by their generally poor mechanical properties:
 (a) in tension;
 (b) load bearing, implant devices that are to be
subjected to significant tensile stresses must be
designed and manufactured with great care if ceramics
are to be safely used.

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 Ceramics can be defined as solid compounds that

are formed by the application of heat, and sometimes

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