The influence of the acidic component of the gas-foaming porogen used in preparing an injectable porous calcium phosphate cement on its properties: acetic acid versus citric acid.

In the present study, macroporous calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) were prepared using a porogen; that is, the gas-foaming technique. The objective was to investigate the influence of the acidic component of the porogen (acetic acid versus citric acid) on several properties of a specified CPC. In all of the cements prepared, the basic component of the porogen was the same, namely, NaHCO(3), and it was added to the powder phase of the cement, while the acidic component of the porogen was dissolved in the liquid phase of the cement. The cements were characterized in terms of initial setting time, porosity, crystallinity, injectability and compressive strength. Also, XRD, FTIR, and SEM techniques were employed to evaluate the phase composition, the chemical groups and the morphological aspects of the porous cements during setting. It was found that the presence of a porogen in a CPC led to significant decreases in both its initial setting time and compressive strength. A CPC made using acetic acid contained a larger amount of the apatite phase but was significantly less injectable and less porous than when citric acid was used.