Li, Guanjin, et al. "Replicating Mg scaffold via 3D printing sacrificial template", Journal of Manufacturing Processes 124 (2024): 1349-1356.
Abstract:
The fabrication of hierarchical and porous structures holds significant promise in biomedical science, aerospace,
and related fields. Despite advancements in 3D printing technology that have enhanced the capability of complex
porous structures, its application in metal fabrication remains challenging. In this paper, we introduce a method
involving a 3D printed sacrificial template, created by the material extrusion process, for magnesium (Mg)
infiltration. This method facilitates the production of porous Mg scaffolds, with the templates subsequently being
water-leached. The morphology, shrinkage rate, compressive strength, and types of lattices of templates were
observed and assessed to determine their viability. Further, comprehensive compression tests and cell adhesion
experiments were conducted on the Mg scaffolds to evaluate their performance. The results suggest that the
templates must possess adequate strength and continuous flow channels for successful Mg infiltration. The
scaffolds experienced an average of about 30 % shrinkage from the initial design to the final structure. The
porous Mg scaffolds exhibit enhanced compressive strength (47.48 ± 0.84 MPa) at lower porosity (0.52) and
demonstrate satisfactory biocompatibility. This research highlights the efficacy and low cost of the template
replication method in generating mechanically superior porous Mg scaffolds with customized pore sizes and
structures. In future research, this method also holds promise for applications involving newly developed alloys.
License type:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - Indsutry Alignment Fund - Pre-Positioning Grant
Grant Reference no. : M22K4a0044