Researchers at IIT Hyderabad, NIT Jalandhar make bone implant materials from eggshells

Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad and Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar together developed a new process by which bone-implant materials can be synthesized. The research paper has been co-authored by Dr Roopavath Uday Kiran, Dr Subha Narayan Rath and Dr Bharat B Panigrahi of IIT Hyderabad and Dr Mahesh Kumar Sah of NIT Jalandhar.

Hyderabad: A team of researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jalandhar have developed a process by which bone implant materials can be synthesized from eggshells.

The researchers synthesized nanopowder, which is a hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a single human hair, from the eggshells.

"Eggshells are not only biocompatible but are also inexpensive and can be obtained in unlimited quantities as millions of tons of eggshells are dumped as waste across the world," said a researcher Roopavath Uday Kiran.

Plaster of Paris is commonly used to heal bone defects but according to the Kiran, it is highly toxic.

"There is always some hesitancy in using synthetic chemicals as bone replacement materials because of the presence of chemical residues that are toxic, if not eliminated completely. It can be dangerous," he said.

The research paper has been co-authored by Dr Roopavath Uday Kiran, Dr Subha Narayan Rath and Dr Bharat B Panigrahi of IIT Hyderabad and Dr Mahesh Kumar Sah of NIT Jalandhar.

Their work was earlier published in the March 2019 issue of the reputed peer-review journal Ceramics International.