PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PLA/HAp COMPOSITE FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Mohamed Saiful Firdaus Hussin; Maizlinda Izwana Idris; Hasan Zuhudi Abdullah; Mohd Fariduddin Mukhtar; Mohammad Fikrey Roslan; Mohd Nazri Ahmad

Mohamed Saiful Firdaus Hussin Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
Maizlinda Izwana Idris Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
Hasan Zuhudi Abdullah Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
Mohd Fariduddin Mukhtar Faculty of Mechanical Technology and Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia.
Mohammad Fikrey Roslan Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, 86400 Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
Mohd Nazri Ahmad Faculty of Industrial and Manufacturing Technology and Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia.

Keywords: Composite, hydroxyapatite, polylactic acid, morphology, surface roughness

Abstract

Producing scaffolds using hydroxyapatite (HAp) presents several challenges, including difficulties in controlling porosity, achieving desired mechanical properties, and addressing the brittle nature of HAp. Polylactic acid (PLA) and HAp composites with various mixing ratio were produced by an internal mixer brabender to create excellent biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds for biomedical applications. The properties of pure PLA and PLA/HAp composite were analyzed in morphological structure, thermal stability, functional groups, and surface roughness using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. SEM images combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed porous materials with fine grains. Pure PLA showed the presence of carbon (C) and oxygen (O) peaks while PLA/HAp composite shows the presence of additional elements which are calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). Meanwhile, TGA results showed the value of peak decomposition temperature decreases with the decreasing composition of PLA in the composite. The functional groups assessment showed the presence of a carbonyl group (CO) and C-H bonds for pure PLA, while the PLA/HAp composite showed the presence of additional phosphate groups. In terms of surface roughness, AFM showed increasing amounts of HAp in the PLA matrix lead to an increase in the average roughness, which can lead to better cell attachment to the composite. The results indicated that the composite with a PLA/HAp weight ratio of 70/30 accomplished more favorable properties for biomedical applications.