Fused deposition modeling of PCL/HA/MMT biocompatible polymer nano-composites

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a biocompatible polymer nano-composite material for the additive manufacturing (AM) process. The material was prepared by the mechanical of polycaprolactone (PCL), montmorillonite (MMT) and hydroxyapatite (HA) using a single screw extruder nanomixer. The amount of MMT material varied from 2 to 4 (wt%) and the HA was fixed at 10 (wt%). Then, the blended material was crushed and fed into a single a screw extruder to produce a filament of 1.8 mm in diameter. The material was characterized on mechanical properties, biocompatibility and manufacturability a fused deposition modeling machine. The results show an improvement in tensile and flexural properties by increasing the MMT. The SEM image shows the bulk formation of apatite layers on the composite surface which confirmed the bioactivity of the material. The material also was successfully produced on the Fused Deposition Modeling for rapid production such as implant components.