Developing a composite material for bone tissue repair

A bioactive and biodegradable composite material consisting of hydroxyapatite (HA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) was investigated for bone tissue repair. A fabrication process involving the use of injection moulding was developed for manufacturing the HA/PHB composite which contained up to 40% by volume of particulate HA. The processing parameters for composite manufacture were optimized through thermal analyses of HA/PHB composite produced and production trials. The microstructure and properties of the composite were evaluated using various techniques. Form the results obtained, it is shown that good quality HA/PHB composite products could be manufactured via the established production route.