Abstract
The mechanical properties of silicate glass-ceramics were evaluated based on the compressive strength tests. It was found that Ta
addition improved densification, refinement of the microstructure and toughening of the bodies. The maximum compressive strength of the bodies with 1 mol% Ta
was increased 3-fold (245.92 ±0.3 MPa) in comparison to undoped glass-ceramics which was measured to be 89.04 ±0.3 MPa, while for 3 mol% it became 4-fold (387.12 ±0.4 MPa) greater. The addition of Ta
stabilized the system by controlling the biodegradation of the glass-ceramics. It effectively depressed the apatite formation as by addition of 3 mol% Ta
no apatite layer was observed. It may be concluded from this study that mechanical and physical properties can be improved by the addition of Ta
, but at a cost of bioactivity. Still the optimized composition having Ta
⩽ 1 mol% may provide appropriate strength of biomaterials for high load bearing applications.