ABSTRACT
Hydroxyapatite (HA), Ca5(PO4)3OH, is the prototype of the inorganic constituent found in tooth and bone. Its physico-chemical properties have wide biological and industrial importance. Hence, its solubility in aqueous solutions has been extensively studied. 1–3 Although ethanol has been known to increase the association constants of ionic compounds and decrease their solubilities, the effect of ethanol on the solubility of HA has not been studied. Recently, ethanol has been reported to affect the precipitation of HA and other calcium phosphates. 4–5 This effect of ethanol may be due to the increase in precipitation rate or the effect on the solubility of HA or both. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of ethanol on the solubility of HA.
