Influence of gelatin coatings on compressive strength of porous hydroxyapatite ceramics

Porous ceramics prepared by the foam replication technique have a high porosity and low mechanical stability. It has been reported that coating such porous ceramics with gelatin allows for an improved compressive strength. Little details regarding the influence of important gelatin parameters such as concentration, temperature and drying conditions as well as bloom number which is a measure of the gel rigidity, on this toughening effect are available. This paper investigates the influence of these parameters on compressive strength of gelatin coated porous hydroxyapatite ceramics. It was found that concentration in the gelatin sols has a marked impact whereas sol temperature, bloom number and differing conditions during subsequent drying have only little influence on the compressive strength of the coated ceramics.