Preparation and properties of β-CaSiO3/ZrO2 (3Y) nanocomposites

β-CaSiO3/ZrO2 (3Y) nanocomposites were successfully fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The addition of nanocrystalline ZrO2 could inhibit the phase transition of micrometer sized CaSiO3 and increase its phase transitional temperature. The relative densities of the dense β-CaSiO3/ZrO2 nanocomposites were above 98%. Nanocrystalline ZrO2 has formed a network structure in the nanocomposites, which could improve the mechanical properties of nanocomposites. The fracture strength and fracture toughness of the nanocomposites were as high as 395 MPa and 4.08 MPa m1/2, respectively. The nanocomposites showed good in vitro bioactivity with hydroxyapatite (HA) layer formation on the ZrO2 network of the nanocomposites in simulated body fluid. The spark plasma sintered β-CaSiO3/ZrO2 (3Y) nanocomposite may provide a new bone graft for load bearing applications.