Ceramics-Silikáty 55, (3) 199 - 207 (2011)

This paper investigated the surface reactivity of two sets of glasses and glass ceramic materials belonging to the Li₂O–SiO₂–CaO–P₂O₅–CaF₂ system. The in vitro bioactivity of coatings was evaluated using simulated body fluid (SBF) and Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) soaking test in static regime for up to 28 days at 36.5°C in microincubator. The surface structure changes were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA) methods. The functional groups of the silicate and phosphates were identified by infrared spectroscopy (IR). The crystal phases of the glasses and glass ceramics were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The results suggest the bioactivity behavior for all compositions of glasses as well as glass ceramic samples after 28 days in the SBF and DMEM medium. The surface characterization and in vitro tests revealed a few variations in the reactivity of the different glasses and glass ceramic samples in their pristine form. The best results show the samples of glass and glass ceramic samples with higher content of fluorapatite (FA). The use of the acellular culture medium DMEM resulted in a delay at the start of precipitation.