Selective laser sintering (SLS) has been investigated for the production of bioactive implants and tissue scaffolds using hydroxyapatite (HA) reinforced polyethylene (HDPE) composites with the aim of achieving the rapid manufacturing of customised implants. Single layer and multilayer block specimens made of HA-HDPE composites with 30 vol% and 40 vol% HA were sintered successfully using a CO 2 laser sintering system. Laser power and scanning speed had a significant effect on the sintering behaviour. The degree of particle fusion and porosity were influenced by the laser processing parameters, hence control can be attained by varying these parameters. Moreover, the SLS processing allowed exposure of HA particles on the surface of the composites and thereby should provide bioactive products. Pores existed in the SLS fabricated composite parts and at certain processing parameters a significant fraction of the pores were within the optimal sizes for tissue regeneration. The results indicate that the SLS technique has the potential not only to fabricate HA-HDPE composite products, but also produce appropriate features for their application as bioactive implants and tissue scaffolds.
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