Nano-Hydroxyapatite Biomineralization on a Collagen Scaffold

This simulator models the exact mechanism engineered nano-HA/collagen scaffolds use for bone tissue engineering: nano-hydroxyapatite crystals nucleate at the periodic gap-zone sites along collagen fibrils and grow by consuming a shared, finite Ca²⁺/PO₄³⁻ ion reservoir. Nucleation follows classical nucleation theory — its rate rises steeply once Ca²⁺/PO₄³⁻ supersaturation clears the thermodynamic barrier — while each nucleated crystal then grows by diffusion-limited, curvature-dependent (Gibbs–Thomson) kinetics that slow as the crystal enlarges and as the local ion pool empties. Adjust supersaturation, temperature and gap-zone site density to watch mineralization progress from bare fibrils to a saturating, S-shaped mineralization curve — live readouts track mineralization degree, crystal count, mean crystal radius and the remaining ion budget.