Effect of Electrical Polarization on the Behavior of Bioactive Glass Containing MgO and B2O3 in SBF

We investigated the electrical polarizability of MgO and B2O3 containing bioactive glass (MBG). The MBG material with good manufacturing properties but low bioactivity was electrically polarized at a high dc field. The electrical polarizability of MBG was evaluated by thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurements and immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). The early precipitation of calcium phosphate on the negatively charged surface of the treated MBG demonstrated the increased bioactivity of the material and confirmed its polarizability. It is suggested that the electrical interactions between the polarized MBG and ions in SBF promoted the formation of the calcium phosphate precipitation. Accordingly, the increased bioactivity of the MBG in SBF is suggested to demonstrate the conversion of MBG into electrovector ceramics by the polarization treatment.