Dissolution of bioactive glass S53P4 in a three-reactor cascade in continuous flow conditions

This study expands the knowledge of bioactive glass S53P4 dissolution by implementing a cascade reactor to a continuous dissolution setup. Three reactors were coupled in a series to study the effects of released ions on S53P4 reactions in each reactor. The pH and ion concentrations were measured in Tris-buffer and simulated body fluid flowing through the cascade reactor for five days. The reaction layer formed on the particles in each reactor were also analysed. In Tris, the dissolved Si decreased from 100% to 40% and 26% in the consecutive reactors after five days. In SBF, Si decreased from 64% to 11% and 8%. Thus, the ions released and decrease of available hydrogen ions for ion exchange influenced the dissolution behaviour of S53P4. The results partly explain the differences in the reaction degree between individual bioactive glass particles used as a bone graft in the same defect site.