HYDROXYAPATITE POWDERS WERE PREPARED VIA USING CALCIUM NITRATE TETRAHYDRATE AND DI-AMMONIUM HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE. WHITE GELS OF HYDROXYAPATITE MIXTURE WERE OBTAINED AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE REACTION. THE OBTAINED GEL WAS THEN DRIED AT 340C FOR 7 H AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUBJECTED TO AN 820C CALCINATIONS FOR 2 H. XRD MEASUREMENT IO SHOWN THAT THE POWDER CONTAINED HYDROXYAPATITE CRYSTAL WITH β-TCP (15-20%) AND CALCIUM OXIDE (4-6%) AS SECONDARY PHASES. FURTHER TREATMENT WAS CONDUCTED TO GAIN HYDROXYAPATITE POWDER OF HIGHER PURITY, THUS THE CORRECT C/P RATIO. GOOD PURITY OF THE OBTAINED HYDROXYAPATITE WAS CONFIRMED BY XRD ANALYSIS. BY USING THE HA POWDER, DENSE SAMPLES WERE PREPARED. THE POWDER WAS MIXED WITH POLY (VINYL ALCOHOL) AND DISTILLED WATER TO MAKE SLURRY. THE SUSPENSION WAS THEN SPRAY-DRIED, AND WELL-DISPERSED POWDERS WERE OBTAINED.
