The effect of temperature on the synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite-polyethylene glycol composites by in-situ process

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a vital material in various biomaterials but has low flexibility. Because of that, research has been done to increase the efficiency of hydroxyapatite by combining it with polyethylene glycol (PEG). HAp-PEG composite synthesis using blood cockle shell waste (Anadara granosa) as Ca precursor. The HAp-PEG composite was synthesized by in-situ to avoid high agglomeration. It was carried out with various temperatures to study the effect of temperature on the formation of the HAp-PEG composite and to determine the effect of temperature on its morphology and degradation properties. Fourier-Transform infrared (FTIR) characterization showed the presence of HAp and PEG functional group vibrations. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the composite had HAp peaks that matched the standard HAp ICSD #97849 and corresponded to pure PEG peaks. Characterization of Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) It is known that the synthesis temperature affects the morphology and hydroxyapatite ratio. Thermogravimetric Analysis-Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA-DTA) analyzed weight reduction in HAp-PEG composite samples, showing that the composite experienced a significant decrease in mass at 176–306, indicating PEG decomposition. The HAp-PEG composite degradation behavior test confirmed that the optimum temperature for degradation occurred at 70 ​°C.