White Paper

In the manufacture of healthcare products and medical materials, especially ceramic materials like zirconia (used as an implant material) and hydroxyapatite (synthetic bone replacement material), there is often a stage in the manufacturing process involving a powder suspension. The behaviour of this powder suspension will correlate strongly to (a) how well it is processed and therefore (b) final yields and product performance. 

Surface chemistry dominates the particle-particle interactions in suspension, with different materials having different surface charges. These interactions in turn dictate suspension rheology. Zeta potential is used to investigate and monitor the surface interactions in powder suspensions and can also be used to optimise the processing method. In a previous white paper, the in-depth theory of zeta potential was presented and discussed. 

This white paper discusses its applications for the manufacture of certain healthcare materials and how Lucideon has assisted manufacturers in this area.