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Advanced mechanical and thermal characterization of 3D bioextruded poly(e-caprolactone)-based composites

Hanxiao Wang (Materials Performance Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, UK)
Marco Domingos (School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK)
Fabio Scenini (Materials Performance Centre, School of Materials, University of Manchester, UK)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 14 May 2018

406

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of nano hydroxyapatite (HA) and graphene oxide (GO) particles on thermal and mechanical performances of 3D printed poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) filaments used in bone tissue engineering (BTE).

Design/methodology/approach

Raw materials were prepared by melt blending, followed by 3D printing via 3D Discovery (regenHU Ltd., CH) with all fabricating parameters kept constant. Filaments, including pure PCL, PCL/HA and PCL/GO, were tested under the same conditions. Several techniques were used to mechanically, thermally and microstructurally evaluate properties of these filaments, including differential scanning calorimetry, tensile test, nano indentation and scanning electron microscope.

Findings

Results show that both HA and GO nano particles are capable of improving mechanical performance of PCL. Enhanced mechanical properties of PCL/HA result from reinforcing effect of HA, while a different mechanism is observed in PCL/GO, where degree of crystallinity plays an important role. In addition, GO is more efficient at enhancing mechanical performance of PCL compared with HA.

Originality/value

For the first time, a systematic study about effects of nano HA and GO particles on bioactive scaffolds produced by additive manufacturing for BTE applications is conducted in this work. Mechanical and thermal behaviors of each sample, pure PCL, PCL/HA and PCL/GO, are reported, correlated and compared with literature.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the funding awarded to Hanxiao Wang through the China Scholarship Council (CSC). Dr Wei-Hung Chiang from the National University of Taipei is also acknowledged for the synthesis of GO. Appreciation is extended to Mr Boyang Huang and Mr Weiguang Wang from the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, the University of Manchester for blend preparation and filament production.

Citation

Wang, H., Domingos, M. and Scenini, F. (2018), "Advanced mechanical and thermal characterization of 3D bioextruded poly(e-caprolactone)-based composites", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 731-738. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-10-2016-0165

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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