Abstract

This work concerns the synthesis, formation, and characteristics of new filaments for 3D printing in FDM™/FFF technology for medical purposes. Two types of filaments were developed, i.e. degradable polyurethane and biodegradable polylactide-starch. The influence of the 3D printing process on selected filament properties was investigated. A detailed analysis of the filament formation process by the extrusion method was carried out, thus complementing the current state of knowledge. Porous structures and anatomical models were designed and 3D printed using, among others, developed filaments. The obtained details were subjected to a series of preliminary biological (in vitro) tests to determine their suitability for medical applications. The research results showed that the developed polyurethane filaments are biocompatible and susceptible to degradation, and the forming process does not affect their structural, thermal, and biological properties. Whereas, modification of polylactide with the addition of thermoplastic starch increased the hydrophilicity and susceptibility to hydrolytic degradation of the developed bio-filament. It has been shown that 3D printed polyurethane porous structures meet the prerequisites of cancellous bone tissue scaffolds. In turn, personalized anatomical models printed with the use of the developed bio-filament are characterized by increased compostability while maintaining the quality of printouts from commercial polylactide (PLA) filament. The basis of the presented doctoral dissertation is a series of six scientific articles published in journals indexed in the JCR list.

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