Hydroxyapatite (HA) is the main component of hard tissue and because of its high biocompatibility and bioactivity makes a strong bond with hard tissue. In this research, hydroxyapatite powders were uniaxially compacted at 86 MPa to form cylindrical shaped samples and sintered at 700-1300 oC with one hour soaking time. The density measured was between 2.89 and 3.49 g/cm3. Phase analyses were performed using X- ray diffraction and the results revealed there was no sign of HA decomposition. Three and four point bending strengths were measured between 7 to 44 MPa. Microstructural studies with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that hydroxyapatite ceramics formed a highly integrated structure with an increase in the sintering temperature up to 1300 oC. It was proved that the sintered samples of hydroxyapatite did not contain any unwanted phase. These results imply that the blocks prepared in this study have the potential for use as biomedical implants.

Keywords: Hydroxyapatite blocks, Sintering.