Electron Irradiation Effect in Surface Modification of Hydroxyapatite Ceramics

Abstract

The structure of ultrathin sections of dense submicrocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂) ceramics has been studied by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrate that high-energy electron irradiation can lead to surface modification with thin CaO, α-Ca₃(PO₄)₂, and HA nanoparticles. Two-level interference contrast and double Fourier transformation of TEM images have been shown to be effective tools for revealing and identifying nanoparticles, respectively.