Supervariate Ceramics: Demineralization via Gelation in Neutral Nontoxic Solutions

Demineralization is essential in various fields, from ocean acidification to orthopaedics. Currently, demineralization is generally ascribed to etching by corrosive acids. Herein, the “supervariate” strategy for the demineralization of calcite (the most abundant biomineral on Earth, and a major comp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Advanced Engineering Materials
Main Authors: Tang, Xinxue, Cheng, Yuk-Tong, Shen, Junda, Liu, Jia-Hua, Zhang, Zhibo, Deng, Zhiqin, Lyu, Fucong, Yang, Yong, Zhu, Guangyu, Xu, Zhengtao, Lu, Jian, Li, Yang Yang
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
Condensed Matter Physics
General Materials Science
Ocean acidification
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adem.202300430
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/adem.202300430
Description
Summary:Demineralization is essential in various fields, from ocean acidification to orthopaedics. Currently, demineralization is generally ascribed to etching by corrosive acids. Herein, the “supervariate” strategy for the demineralization of calcite (the most abundant biomineral on Earth, and a major component of Earth's crust) is disclosed, in which nontoxic solutions of multiple ionic species are used to convert calcite into a multi‐ionic amorphous gel that exhibits moderate flowability, which means it can be conveniently collected, stored, transferred, and moulded. This transformation is enabled by the facile formation of highly stable “supervariate” gels featuring high entropy (as a result of their disordered structure, containing various ionic and hydration species) and high resistance to crystallization. Overall, a novel, safe, generic method for etching, gelatinating, and processing solid ceramics is described.

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