Mechanical, thermal and bioactive behaviors of polyamide 6/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites.

Polyamide-6 nanocomposites filled with different hydroxyapatite nanorod contents were injection molded. The thermal and tensile properties as well as bioactivity of such nanocomposties were investigated. The results showed that the thermal stabilities of polyamide-6 improve considerably by adding hydroxyapatite nanorods. Tensile measurements demonstrated that nanorods reinforce polyamide-6 effectively but reduce its tensile elongation and impact strength. Cell cultivation and viability tests showed that mouse osteoblasts adhere and proliferate readily on the nanocomposites containing high filler contents. Therefore, polyamide-6/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites show potential application in orthopedics for bone tissue replacements.