Fine calcium phosphate powders were fabricated by using recycled cuttlefish bone. A raw cuttlefish bone easily turned to CaO by a calcining process and the calcined cuttlefish bone was mixed with phosphoric acid by a wet, ball-milling method. The crystalline phases of the heated mixtures were dependent on the mixing ratio (wt%) of the calcined cuttlefish bone to phosphoric acid. In a wide mixing ratio range of 1:1.1-1:1.7 wt%, calcium phosphates were synthesized and fully crystallized HAp and beta-TCP were observed at about 900 degrees C and above. The synthesized powders showed fine particles of below 0.5 mu m in size. In this study, the crystalline development and Ca/P molar ratios of the synthesized calcium phosphate powders were studied by X-ray diffractometry and chemical analysis using ICP AES. In addition, the microstructures of the cuttlefish bone and synthesized calcium phosphate powders were examined by scanning electron microscopy.

Keywords: synthesis; powder; cuttlefish bone; calcium phosphate; crystallization