Preparation and properties of three dimensional printing materials made from biopolymers for medical applications

Abstract

A preliminary study employing a mixture of natural polymers for three dimensional printing (3DP) technology was carried out to determine the influence of mixture composition and post-processing technique on their physical and mechanical properties. Series of blended natural polymers including cassava starch, maltodextrin, cellulose fiber and gelatin with different amount were formulated. It was observed that the percentage of individual component influenced the properties and characteristics of prepared samples including part stability, dimension accuracy and flexural properties. Starch aided part stability and the fineness of the mixture. Maltodextrin and gelatin increased flexural strength whereas cellulose fiber helped in both part stability and strength. Infiltration by light-cured resin could further enhance flexural modulus and flexural strength of samples to be close to generally used acrylate resin. Preliminary in vitro toxicity test of infiltrated sample showed that the cells which were in contact with samples were healthy. No inhibition zone was observed.