Preparation of porous b-type carbonate apatite with different carbonate contents for an artificial bone substitute

B-type carbonate apatite (B-CAp) powders were prepared by a wet method using Ca(OH)2 suspension and H3PO4 solution including NaHCO3 as a carbonate source, and porous B-CAp ceramics with two different amounts of carbonate contents were fabricated by sintering freeze-dried mixtures of the powders and gelatin composite. The porous B-CAp ceramics prepared had three-dimensionally interconnected pores. The sinterability of B-CAp ceramics was dependent on the chemical composition, especially sodium content and vacancy of OH site, and the carbonate contents did not directly influence the dissolution rate of porous B-CAp ceramics.