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Twin screw extrusion (TSE) is one of the commercially established processes for reinforcement of metallic/nonmetallic/ceramic fillers in polymer matrix for tailor-made applications. In this study, biocompatible feedstock filament has been prepared (in-house) for commercial fused deposition modeling (FDM) setup with biocompatible grade polymers, namely polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene which was reinforced with the hydroxyapatite particles. The process parameters (namely, material composition, rotational speed of TSE, die temperature of TSE, HAp particle grain size, and applied load on TSE) were optimized using Taguchi L18 orthogonal array. In this study, mechanical, thermal, and metallurgical properties have been established, and best-feedstock filament wire for development of partial/complete denture on the FDM with functionally graded surfaces properties has been recommended for future applications.

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In this article, detailed procedure for the development of polylactic acid (PLA), hydroxyapatite (HAp) and chitosan (CS)-based biocompatible functional prototype has been outlined by using three-dimensional (3D) printing as a case study. The biocompatible composite-based feedstock filament (comprising of PLA-HAp-CS) has been prepared through twin-screw extruder (TSE) for open-source fused deposition modelling (FDM)-based 3D printer. This case study provides two-stage multifactor optimization: (a) for preparation of feedstock filament on TSE and (b) 3D printing on FDM based upon tensile and flexural samples. The results of study suggest that the best settings of input parameters for TSE are barrel temperature of 190°C, screw speed of 140 r/min and dead weight of 12 kg. Further, the optimized settings for FDM are layer thickness of 0.2 mm, deposition angle of 30/45° and infill density of 100%. The results have been supported by scanning electron microscopic analysis.