Combining particle size distribution and isothermal calorimetry data to determine the reaction kinetics of alpha-tricalcium phosphate-water mixtures.

Many calcium phosphate bone substitutes are based on the use of alpha-tricalcium phosphate (alpha-TCP) powder. This compound has been intensively studied, but some aspects of alpha-TCP reactivity are still controversial. The goal of this study was to determine the setting kinetics of alpha-TCP based on a new approach that compared particle size distribution data to isothermal calorimetry data. Results indicated that alpha-TCP conversion is mostly controlled by surface reactions, with at later stages a diffusion-controlled mechanism. The presence of an X-ray amorphous alpha-TCP fraction in the crystalline alpha-TCP powder increased the dissolution rate threefold, without modifying the reaction mechanism.