Improved toughness, electrical conductivity and optical properties of bioactive borosilicate glasses for orthopedic applications

Bioactive glasses are among the most preferred candidate materials for use in orthopedic applications, thanks to their outstanding properties. However, their low toughness and electrical conductivity are the main disadvantages of their biomedical uses. To improve these mentioned drawbacks, 20Na2O–25CaO–5SiO2-xAg2O–(50 − x)B2O3 glasses, x = 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 wt.%, were prepared by melt-quenching method. The amorphous structure together with the chemical composition of these glasses was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Then, physical, mechanical, optical and dielectric properties of the prepared glasses were measured. The bioactivity of the prepared samples after being dipped in simulated body fluid was evaluated using the XRD technique. The obtained results showed that increasing the Ag2O content was responsible for improving the fracture toughness of the sample to about 83% without dramatic decreases in other mechanical properties indicating that the prepared samples are desirable for load-bearing sites applications. Also, this increase in Ag2O content was responsible for the improvement in electrical conductivity and all optical properties. Moreover, the presence of Ag2O had a positive role in enhancing the bioactivity of the glass samples. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the prepared glass samples are promising for orthopedic applications.