The Raman and IR spectra of poly(L-lactic acid) in the amorphous and semicrystalline states were recorded from 3600 to 100 cm-'. Complete vibrational assignments are proposed. In the Raman spectra, the splittings of the vC=O stretching and the SCCO bend are characteristic of the crystalline phase and the presence of the two lines at 923 and 520 cm-' indicates a 10, helical conformation.

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For diverse reasons, calcium phosphates used to prepare hydraulic calcium phosphate cements can be ground mixed. The grinding with a rotating micromill of monocalcium phosphate monohydrate or anhydrous, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate or anhydrous with calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, tetracalcium phosphate, or ␣-or ␤-tricalcium phosphate was studied for different calcium to phosphate (Ca/P) ratios, rotating rates, masses of balls, and environmental conditions. During dry grinding by ball milling, anhydrous or hydrated acid calcium phosphates can mechanochemically react with anhydrous or hydrated basic calcium salts to form dicalcium phosphate dihydrate or anhydrous, noncrystalline calcium phosphate, and/or calcium deficient or stoichiometric hydroxyapatite, depending on the Ca/P ratio in the mixture and the time of grinding. The reaction rate is a function of the rotation rate and the mass of the balls. Water is not necessary to initiate the reaction but facilitates it because hydrated salts react faster than the corresponding anhydrous salts. Neither carbon dioxide nor carbonate ions seem to have any influence on the transformation kinetics. The transformations that occur during grinding influence the final mechanical properties of hydraulic calcium phosphate cements prepared from these materials. Thus, if a grinding step of the starting materials is planed, the grinding conditions will have to be particularly well defined to obtain reproducible results.

An apatitic calcium phosphate cement was developed from calcium bis-dihydro-genophosphate monohydrate (or monocalcium phosphate monohydrate, MCPM) and calcium oxide (CaO). The powder had a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.67, and the liquid was either pure water or 0.25 M-1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The influence of the powder-to-liquid (P/L) ratio on the setting time and the mechanical strength were studied. The best results were obtained for the 1 M phosphate buffer with a P/L ratio of 1.53; the setting time was 7 min and the compressive strength was 25 MPa after 24 h and 33 MPa after 11 d. The mechanism and kinetics of the setting reaction were investigated by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, 31P magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectrometry. The setting reaction was found to be biphasic: in the first step, during the mixing time, MCPM reacted with CaO immediately to give calcium hydrogenophosphate dihydrate (or dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, DCPD) which, in the second step, reacted more slowly with the remaining CaO to give hydroxyapatite. The conversion of the starting materials to hydroxyapatite was complete within 24 h when the liquid was water, but was slower and incomplete with the phosphate buffers. Of the starting materials, 30% remained after 3 d.