The Use of Sucrose Granule as Pore Maker in Preparation of Porous Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate

Calcium sulfate dihydrate (CSD) has been clinically used as bone filler for decades. CSD bone graft is cheap, biocompatible and can be transformed to other osteoconductive ceramics such as hydroxyapatite and carbonate apatite. In addition, porous ceramic bone grafts is desired clinically. Development of porous ceramics bone graft with simple and cost-effective method is preferred. Thus, in this study, porous CSD was developed. Porous CSD can be used both as bone filler or precursor for porous hydroxyapatite and carbonate apatite. Porous CSD was prepared by mixing calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) containing sucrose granules with distilled water. After setting, the sucrose granules were removed by immersion in distilled water. Porous CSD was obtained after sucrose leaching. It was observed that more pore formed in the specimen with 50% sucrose granule compared with that of 25% sucrose granule. The sucrose was completely removed from the porous CSD evident from ATR-FTIR analysis. The diametral tensile strength of the porous CSD tend to decrease with the increase of sucrose granule. Finally, sucrose granule was feasible to be used as pore maker in preparation of porous CSD.