The present invention provides that powder is mainly constituted from secondary particles of hydroxyapatite. The secondary particles are obtained by drying a slurry containing primary particles of hydroxyapatite and aggregates thereof and granulating the primary particles and the aggregates. A bulk density of the powder is 0.65 g/mL or more and a specific surface area of the secondary particles is 70 m.sup.2/g or more. The powder of the present invention has high strength and is capable of exhibiting superior adsorption capability when it is used for an adsorbent an adsorption apparatus has.

The present invention provides that powder is mainly constituted from secondary particles of hydroxyapatite. The secondary particles are obtained by drying a slurry containing primary particles of hydroxyapatite and aggregates thereof and granulating the primary particles and the aggregates. A bulk density of the powder is 0.65 g/mL or more and a specific surface area of the secondary particles is 70 m.sup.2/g or more. The powder of the present invention has high strength and is capable of exhibiting superior adsorption capability when it is used for an adsorbent an adsorption apparatus has.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic that comprises: —making available at least one amorphous metal; —making available a biomimetic material or a biomaterial based on calcium phosphate; —functionalizing said biomimetic material or said biomaterial based on calcium phosphate, with said at least one amorphous metal, obtaining a functionalized and oriented composite; —adding said functionalized composite to a ceramic mixture, and/or applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product, where ceramic semi-finished product means the ceramic material before baking; —applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product; —baking at a temperature between 600 and 1400° C., preferably between 900 and 1300° C., for a time that varies from 20 to 500 minutes, obtaining an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic. The present invention further relates to a photocatalytic ceramic material that comprises a biomimetic material having a nanostructured hierarchical structure with macro and micro cavities, within which at least one photocatalytic material selected from metal oxides and/or sulphides in the crystalline form with a rutile-like structure is included, and tiles, sanitary ware and tableware comprising the same.

The present invention relates to a method for producing an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic that comprises: making available amorphous Ti; making available a biomimetic material or a biomaterial based on calcium phosphate; functionalizing said biomimetic material or said biomaterial based on calcium phosphate, with said amorphous Ti, obtaining a functionalized and oriented composite; adding said functionalized composite to a ceramic mixture, and/or applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product, where ceramic semi-finished product means the ceramic material before baking; applying said functionalized composite on a ceramic semi-finished product; baking at a temperature between 600 and 1400° C., preferably between 900 and 1300° C., for a time that varies from 20 to 500 minutes, obtaining an antibacterial photocatalytic ceramic. The present invention further relates to a photocatalytic ceramic material that comprises a biomimetic material having a nanostructured hierarchical structure with macro and micro cavities, within which TiO.sub.2 is included in the crystalline form of rutile, and tiles, sanitary ware and tableware comprising same.

A hydroxyapatite particle having a plurality of functionalities on a surface, a process for forming a hydroxyapatite particle having a plurality of functionalities on a surface, and an article of manufacture including a hydroxyapatite particle having a plurality of functionalities on a surface are disclosed. The hydroxyapatite particle includes a first functionality on a first surface of the hydroxyapatite particle, where the first functionality includes first moieties to bind to polymer constructs, and a second functionality on a second surface of the hydroxyapatite particle. The process for forming the hydroxyapatite particle includes providing one or more hydroxyapatite particles, forming one or more wax particles, functionalizing a first exposed surface of the one or more hydroxyapatite particles, removing the one or more hydroxyapatite particles from the wax core, and functionalizing the second exposed surface of the one or more hydroxyapatite particles.

Process of acid attack with sulphuric acid of a phosphate source comprising calcium or not comprising calcium for a predetermined time period ranging from 20 to 180 minutes in the conditions wherein the molar ratio of sulphate from the sulphuric acid and possibly from the phosphate source to the calcium present in the phosphate source ranges from 0.6 to 0.8, and the content in P.sub.2O.sub.5 in the attack tank is of less than 6%.

The present invention relates to a method for constructing a whitlockite coating on a surface of a calcium phosphate-based bioceramic substrate and a resulting coating, wherein the preparation method includes the following steps of: preparing pure calcium phosphate-based bioceramic powder firstly, then pre-firing, shaping and calcining the pure calcium phosphate-based bioceramic powder to obtain a calcium phosphate-based bioceramic substrate, placing the substrate in a solution containing Mg.sup.2+, then transferring the substrate to a high-temperature high-pressure reaction kettle for a hydrothermal reaction, and then cleaning and drying the sample to obtain a whitlockite coating.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a citrate-coated amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticle which comprises the following steps: 1) providing a first solution of a salt of calcium and a citrate salt wherein the molar ratio of citrate ion to calcium ion is in the range from 1 to 2 thus obtaining a clear first solution; 2) providing a second solution of a salt capable to give phosphate anion and a carbonate salt; 3) mixing together the first and the second solution at a pH in the range from 8 to 11; 4) precipitating the nanoparticle; and 5) drying the nanoparticle obtained from step 4). Preferably and advantageously the invention provides for the addition of a fluoride compound in step 2) for obtaining a fluorine-doped citrate-coated calcium phosphate nanoparticle or a nanoparticle agglomerate. The nanoparticle/nanoparticle agglomerate of the invention has a peculiar superficial area and a diameter that allow to use it as a biomaterial for dentistry application.

The present invention provides that powder is mainly constituted from secondary particles of hydroxyapatite. The secondary particles are obtained by drying a slurry containing primary particles of hydroxyapatite and aggregates thereof and granulating the primary particles and the aggregates. A bulk density of the powder is 0.65 g/mL or more and a specific surface area of the secondary particles is 70 m.sup.2/g or more. The powder of the present invention has high strength and is capable of exhibiting superior adsorption capability when it is used for an adsorbent an adsorption apparatus has.

The present invention relates to a process for producing an aqueous suspension of surface-reacted calcium salt particles by mixing a calcium salt excluding monocalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate, a calcium phosphate selected from monocalcium phosphate and/or dicalcium phosphate, with water, and grinding the obtained aqueous suspension at a pH value of at least 4.2 to form an aqueous suspension of surface-reacted calcium salt particles.