Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol.99, No.5, 1498-1503, 2016
Precipitation and Growth Mechanism of Diverse Sr-5(PO4)(3)F Particles
Strontium fluorapatite particles with tunable morphologies and geometries were successfully synthesized via a precipitation system by adjusting the pH value and temperature. Several analysis techniques were used to investigate and characterize the particles. The surface energy was calculated using first-principle calculations based on density functional theory. Capsule-like nanosized primary grains with axial growth directions parallel to the c-axis were synthesized at higher pH values, resulting from the difference in surface energy for the different planes of the Sr-5(PO4)(3)F lattice. Bundle-like clusters were obtained at a pH value of similar to 7, which was attributed to a combination of the difference in surface energy and the phenomenon of heterogeneous nucleation occurring at low degrees of supersaturation. The study determined the approaches necessary to manufacture Sr-5(PO4)(3)F powders with specific characteristics for different applications.