Validation of an Analytical Model Describing Mechanical Properties of Porous BCP Ceramics

Macroporous biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramics, for use as bone substitutes, have been fabricated by cold isostatic pressing and conventional sintering, using naphthalene particles as a porogen to produce macropores. The resulting ceramics, composite materials made of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate containing various macroporosities and microporosities, have been submitted to compression and three-point bending tests. The mechanical tests performed on the sintered ceramics tend to validate the modelling approach and its hypothesis, i.e. the material can be considered as a microporous matrix containing isolated macropores, and the critical flaw is a macropore.