BIOACTIVE GLASS PREPARATION AND USE
A process of preparing a glass comprising: (a) heating a mixture of precursor chemicals to a melt temperature to form a melt, the melt being characterized in that quenching the melt at or above a threshold temperature results in a spinodal phase seperation, and quenching the melt below the threshold temperature results in a droplet phase seperation; and (b) quenching the melt at or above the threshold temperature in a preheated mold to form the glass composition having the spinodal phase seperation.
1 . A glass composition prepared from the process comprising:
heating a mixture of chemicals to a melt temperature to form a melt, said melt being characterized in that quenching said melt at or above a threshold temperature results in a spinodal phase seperation, and quenching said melt below said threshold temperature results in a droplet phase seperation; and
quenching said melt at or above said threshold temperature in a preheated mold to form said glass composition having said spinodal phase seperation.
2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said melt temperature is about 1400 to about 1600° C.
3 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein said threshold temperature is no less than about 86% of said melt temperature
4 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein said melt temperature is about 1450 to about 1550° C.
5 . The composition of claim 4 , wherein said threshold temperature is no less than about 88.5% of said melt temperature
6 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein said threshold temperature is no less than about 89% of said melt temperature
7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said glass comprises 45S5 bioglass.
8 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein threshold temperature is no less than about 1375° C.
9 . The composition of claim 8 , wherein said threshold temperature ranges from 1375 to 1550° C.
10 . The composition of claim 8 , wherein said threshold temperature ranges from about 1375 to about 1380° C.
11 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said preheated mold is preheated to about 100 to about 300° C.
12 . The composition of claim 1 , further comprising calcining said mixture before forming said melt.
13 . The composition of claim 1 , further comprising cooling said mixture from said melt temperature before quenching.
14 . A process of preparing a glass comprising:
heating a mixture of chemicals to a melt temperature to form a melt, said melt being characterized in that quenching said melt at or above a threshold temperature results in a spinodal phase seperation, and quenching said melt below said threshold temperature results in a droplet phase seperation; and
quenching said melt at or above said threshold temperature in a preheated mold to form said glass composition having said spinodal phase seperation.
15 . The process of claim 14 , wherein said melt temperature is about 1400 to about 1600° C.
16 . The process of claim 14 , wherein said threshold temperature ranges from 1375° C. to about 1550° C.
17 . A method of using a glass to promote bioactivity, said method comprising:
disposing said glass composition in a cellular environment, said glass being prepared by a process comprising at least:
heating a mixture of chemicals to a melt temperature to form a melt, said melt being characterized in that quenching said melt at or above a threshold temperature results in a spinodal phase seperation, and quenching said melt below said threshold temperature results in a droplet phase seperation; and
quenching said melt at or above said threshold temperature in a preheated mold to form said glass composition having said spinodal phase seperation; and
facilitating cellular attachment and proliferation on said glass composition.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said cellular proliferation is greater than that on glass having formed from the same said mixture but with said droplet phase seperation.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said cellular environment is a body of an animal.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein facilitating cellular attachment comprises sustaining the life of said animal.