Comparative study on the physicomechanical, bioactivity, and biocompatibility properties of β-wollastonite and β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites

This study aimed to fabricate and characterise β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites synthesised via an autoclaving method, with and without maghemite and strontium powder. β-Wollastonite was synthesised by autoclaving silicon dioxide from rice husk ash (RHA) and calcium oxide from limestone for 8 h at 124 °C and then sintered at 950 °C for 2 h. Maghemite (2 wt.%) and strontium (3 wt.%) were added to β-wollastonite to obtain β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites. Next, the maghemite and strontium compositions affect the phase composite, microstructure, and the physicomechanical, bioactivity, and biocompatibility properties of the pure β-wollastonite, and β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites were thoroughly investigated. β-Wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites have a higher density (3.07 g/cm 3 ) and compression strength (0.80 ± 0.10 MPa) than β-wollastonite. After 3 days of soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF), the bioactivity test for β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites revealed the presence of hydroxyapatite (HA) peaks in the X-ray diffraction patterns. However, specimens of β-wollastonite and β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites showed cytotoxic effects on V79-4 cells for biocompatibility. It was concluded that the β-wollastonite/maghemite/strontium composites are suitable for biomaterials application with some modification on biocompatibility properties.