Nur Aisyah Nuzulia

Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University, Indonesia

Idalia

Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19184/cerimre.v9i1.60015

ABSTRACT 

To address structural failure resulting from acid-induced demineralisation cycles, there is a critical need for biomaterials that drive effective tooth remineralization. This study reports the structural development and functional groups of fluorapatite (FA) syhthesized using the sol-gel method with varying sintering temperatures (600 ºC, 700 ºC, and 800 ºC). X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that the hexagonal crystalline fluorapatite phase was the dominant phase in all samples, identified by the appearance of three main highest diffraction peaks and a strong phosphate (PO43-) vibration bond. Nevertheless, there are minor impurity compounds in the form of hydroxyapatite (HA) due to incomplete fluoride ion substitution, as well as calcium oxide (CaO) at high temperatures, resulting from local thermal decomposition. As the sintering temperature increases, the diffraction peaks shift towards higher angles, indicating stabilization of fluoride-ion incorporation into the apatite framework. Crystallinity and peak profiles increased as the temperature was raised from 600 ºC to 700 ºC. However, further heating to 800 ºC did not alter the diffraction profile or spectral features. Therefore, 700 ºC is defined as the energy-efficient optimal sintering temperature for producing highly crystalline fluorapatite biomaterials with potential as dental remineralization agents.

Keywords: Demineralization, Fluorapatite, FTIR, Sintering, Sol-gel, XRD.