Microwave-assisted co-precipitation synthesis of high purity β-tricalcium phosphate crystalline powders

Highlights: → A new fabrication technique has been set up for the preparation of high purity β-TCP. → β-TCP could be obtained in a short time. → The formation process of β-TCP was different from the previous reports. - Abstract: A new fabrication technique of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) has been investigated by the microwave-assisted co-precipitation method and subsequent calcinations. The synthesized powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The calcium/phosphorous atomic ratio of the as-dried sample was determined by energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX). The results showed that high purity and well-crystallized β-TCP powders could be obtained in a rapid way by microwave processing. The formation process of β-TCP was explained based on the TG-DTA analysis. The effects of microwave irradiation on the reaction mechanism and reaction rate were preliminarily analyzed in the paper.