Tricalcium phosphate
chemical compound
Tricalcium phosphate (sometimes abbreviated TCP), more commonly known as Calcium phosphate, is a calcium salt of phosphoric acid with the chemical formula Ca3(PO4)2. It is also known as tribasic calcium phosphate and bone phosphate of lime (BPL). It is a white solid of low solubility. Most commercial samples of "tricalcium phosphate" are in fact hydroxyapatite.
It exists as three crystalline polymorphs α, α′, and β. The α and α′ states are stable at high temperatures.
Nomenclature
Calcium phosphate refers to numerous materials consisting of calcium ions (Ca2+) together with orthophosphates (PO3−4), metaphosphates or pyrophosphates (P2O4−7) and occasionally oxide and hydroxide ions. Especially, the common mineral apatite has formula Ca5(PO4)3X, where X is F, Cl, OH, or a mixture; it is hydroxyapatite if the extra ion is mainly hydroxide. Much of the "tricalcium phosphate" on the market is actually powdered hydroxyapatite.
Preparation
Tricalcium phosphate is produced commercially by treating hydroxyapatite with phosphoric acid and slaked lime.
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