The effect of time and number of balls on shaker milling process in hydroxyapatite powder synthesis

Abstract

The synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HA) from the shells of blood clams has been successfully performed by the low temperature hydrothermal method. To obtain uniform and nano-HA powder, size of obtained HA was reduced using shaker milling process. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of time and the number of balls on the shaker mill process on hydroxyapatite particle size. The shells of blood clams were calcined at 1000 °C for 24 hours to obtain CaO powder. Then 55.63 gram (NH4)2HPO4 dissolved in 600 mL of distilled water then added 45,91 gram of CaO at 90 °C to form slurry. The slurry was dried at 120 °C for 15 hours, and milled using shaker milling process with variation of time 1, 2 and 4 hours and variation of number 10, 20, and 30 balls. The peak intensities show the high percentage of HA with Tricalcium phosphate (TCP) presence in X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Diameter of crystal produced is 67 nm, with time variation for 2 hours and number of 20 balls. Breuner-Emmet-Teller (BET) analysis result, with time ball milling for 1 hour and the number of 10 balls surface area of HA is 36,974 m2/g. The longer of milling process, the temperature will also increase causing clumps of particles resulting in an increase in particle size. The more the ball is used then the surface area of obtained hydroxyapatite will be smaller.