Fused deposition modeling of PLA/TCP/ZnO composites for enhanced orthopedic applications

Polylactic acid (PLA) and its composites have gained significant attention for the fabrication of complex biomedical devices because of their biodegradability, biocompatibility and reliable mechanical performance. Despite the various advantages of PLA, the use of pure PLA is limited because of its brittleness, low strength, poor crack resistance and slow degradation. To overcome these limitations, composites of PLA matrix with various reinforcements such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), has been focused in current continuation. The inspection of tensile data reveals that suspension of TCP enhanced the strength of composite material, while zinc helps in increasing the ductility and strength. The collective transport of ZnO and TCP into PLA yield to composite materials with impressive mechanical features inconstant to traditional PLA. A well balanced suspension of PLA/30TCP/1ZnO composite has been claimed with moderate degradability. Further 3D printing compatibility of various parts such as screw, bone plates was tested using the PLA/30TCP/1ZnO composites.