Comparison of sheep scapula models created with polylactic acid and thermoplastic polyurethane filaments by three‐dimensional modelling

Author(s):  
Semih Kurt ◽  
Sedef Selviler‐Sizer ◽  
Burcu Onuk ◽  
Murat Kabak
Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 3087
Author(s):  
Asmak Abdul Samat ◽  
Zuratul Ain Abdul Hamid ◽  
Mariatti Jaafar ◽  
Badrul Hisham Yahaya

Surgical reconstruction of extensive tracheal lesions is challenging. It requires a mechanically stable, biocompatible, and nontoxic material that gradually degrades. One of the possible solutions for overcoming the limitations of tracheal transplantation is a three-dimensional (3D) printed tracheal scaffold made of polymers. Polymer blending is one of the methods used to produce material for a trachea scaffold with tailored characteristics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mechanical and in vitro properties of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polylactic acid (PLA) blend as a potential material for 3D printed tracheal scaffolds. Both materials were melt-blended using a single screw extruder. The morphologies (as well as the mechanical and thermal characteristics) were determined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, tensile test, and Differential Scanning calorimetry (DSC). The samples were also evaluated for their water absorption, in vitro biodegradability, and biocompatibility. It is demonstrated that, despite being not miscible, TPU and PLA are biocompatible, and their promising properties are suitable for future applications in tracheal tissue engineering.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2125
Author(s):  
José María Rosales ◽  
Cristina Cejudo ◽  
Lidia Verano ◽  
Lourdes Casas ◽  
Casimiro Mantell ◽  
...  

Polylactic Acid (PLA) filaments impregnated with ethanolic mango leaves extract (MLE) with pharmacological properties were obtained by supercritical impregnation. The effects of pressure, temperature and amount of extract on the response variables, i.e., swelling, extract loading and bioactivity of the PLA filaments, were determined. The analysis of the filaments biocapacities revealed that impregnated PLA filaments showed 11.07% antidenaturant capacity and 88.13% antioxidant activity, which after a 9-day incubation shifted to 30.10% and 9.90%, respectively. Subsequently, the same tests were conducted on printed samples. Before their incubation, the printed samples showed 79.09% antioxidant activity and no antidenaturant capacity was detected. However, after their incubation, the antioxidant activity went down to only 2.50%, while the antidenaturant capacity raised up to 23.50%. The persistence of the bioactive properties after printing opens the possibility of using the functionalized PLA filaments as the feed for a three-dimensional (3D) printer.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1791
Author(s):  
Chi Cuong Vu ◽  
Thanh Tai Nguyen ◽  
Sangun Kim ◽  
Jooyong Kim

Health monitoring sensors that are attached to clothing are a new trend of the times, especially stretchable sensors for human motion measurements or biological markers. However, price, durability, and performance always are major problems to be addressed and three-dimensional (3D) printing combined with conductive flexible materials (thermoplastic polyurethane) can be an optimal solution. Herein, we evaluate the effects of 3D printing-line directions (45°, 90°, 180°) on the sensor performances. Using fused filament fabrication (FDM) technology, the sensors are created with different print styles for specific purposes. We also discuss some main issues of the stretch sensors from Carbon Nanotube/Thermoplastic Polyurethane (CNT/TPU) and FDM. Our sensor achieves outstanding stability (10,000 cycles) and reliability, which are verified through repeated measurements. Its capability is demonstrated in a real application when detecting finger motion by a sensor-integrated into gloves. This paper is expected to bring contribution to the development of flexible conductive materials—based on 3D printing.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 70-79
Author(s):  
Dino Dominic Forte Ligutan ◽  
Argel Alejandro Bandala ◽  
Jason Limon Española ◽  
Richard Josiah Calayag Tan Ai ◽  
Ryan Rhay Ponce Vicerra ◽  
...  

The development of a novel 3D-printed three-claw robotic gripper shall be described in this paper with the goal of incorporating various design considerations. Such considerations include the grip reliability and stability, grip force maximization, wide object grasping capability. Modularization of its components is another consideration that allows its parts to be easily machined and reusable. The design was realized by 3D printing using a combination of tough polylactic acid (PLA) material and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. In practice, additional tolerances were also considered for 3D printing of materials to compensate for possible expansion or shrinkage of the materials used to achieve the required functionality. The aim of the study is to explore the design and eventually deploy the three-claw robotic gripper to an actual robotic arm once its metal work fabrication is finished.


2012 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. 156-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tien Wei Shyr ◽  
Jung Yang ◽  
Chun Chieh Hu ◽  
Jian Ren Wang ◽  
Chia Hsin Tung

A series of blends were prepared by different ratios of polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with a crosslinking agent of dicumyl peroxide (DCP). This study focused on the crystal structure, morphology, crystallization, and melting behaviors of PLA/TPU blends using a wide angle x-ray diffractometer (WAXD), a polarizing optical microscope (POM) and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). A Modified Avrami equation was applied to analyze non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PLA/TPU blends. Results show that the nucleation of PLA was enhanced by the added TPU. The spherulitic growth rate, crystallization rate, and crystallinity of the PLA/TPU blends increased with an increase of TPU content. WAXD results show that all of the crystal reflections of PLA/TPU blends related to those of PLA.


2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 931-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Barmouz ◽  
Amir Hossein Behravesh

This paper reports a research work on characterization of foamed biocompatible polylactic acid–thermoplastic polyurethane blends in terms of microstructural, thermal, and physical properties. The brittleness of the polylactic acid is compensated via blending with an elastoplastic phase of thermoplastic polyurethane. A range of low bulk density foam with a high cell density was produced in a solid state foaming process. Addition of thermoplastic polyurethane phase acted against the cell growth and thus foam expansion, apparently due to its inherent lower storage modulus, which weakens the polymer matrix and leads to gas escape phenomenon. Evaluation of thermal properties showed a tangible effect of blending and foaming process on crystallization of the specimens, which confirmed that the sensitivity of polylactic acid’s crystallinity to CO2 gas saturation was reduced as a result of thermoplastic polyurethane addition. Measurement of cell diameters and cell densities of the foamed samples demonstrated formation of the fine closed cells structure as a result of suitable foaming parameters that were able to deal with stiffness and strength of the polymeric matrix.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Yan ◽  
Yuye Wang ◽  
Pengjun Luo ◽  
Yangbo Li ◽  
Xiaochun Lu

Purpose The limited strength of polylactic acid (PLA) hinders its extensive engineering applications. This paper aims to enhance its strength and realize diverse applications. Design/methodology/approach Here, the continuous fiber reinforced PLA composites are fabricated by a customized fused filament fabrication three-dimensional printer. Uniaxial tensile and three-point flexural tests have been conducted to analyze the reinforcement effect of the proposed composites. To unveil the adhering mechanism of optic fiber (OF) and PLA, post failure analysis including the micro imaging and morphology have been performed. The underlying mechanism is that the axial tensile strength of the OF and the interfacial adhesion between PLA and OF compete to enhance the mechanical properties of the composite. Findings It is found that 10%–20% enhancement of strength, ductility and toughness due to the incorporation of the continuous OF. Originality/value The continuous OFs are put into PLA first time to improve the strength. The fabrication method and process reported here are potentially applied in such engineering applications as aerospace, defense, auto, medicine, etc.


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