Akermanite had attracted great attention due to the favourable mechanical properties and excellent biological performance. In this research, the microstructure and mechanical properties of akermanite scaffolds fabricated via laser sintering under different process conditions were studied and characterized. The results showed that the akermanite particles gradually mixed together, grew up and reached complete densification with the scanning speed decreasing from 450 to 150mm/min, while micro defects such as air holes occurred at 50mm/min. simultaneously, the compressive strength of the scaffolds went up and then descended, and the optimum value was 5.92±0.41 MPa. The Vickers hardness and fracture toughness increased consistently and then tended to stabilize. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicated no new phase appeared under all process conditions. MG-63 cell culture revealed that cell adhesion and proliferation occurred, indicating excellent cytocompatibility of the scaffolds. Moreover, in vitro bioactivity tests showed that the apatite layer formed on the scaffolds and became dense and thick with the increase of soaking time in simulated body fluid (SBF), and this fact was further confirmed by energydispersive spectroscopy (EDS).
Akermanite (AKM) is considered to be a promising bioactive material for bone tissue engineering due to the moderate biodegradability and excellent biocompatibility. However, the major disadvantage of AKM is the relatively inadequate fracture toughness, which hinders the further applications. In the study, boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) reinforced AKM scaffolds are fabricated by selective laser sintering. The effects of BNNSs on the mechanical properties and microstructure are investigated. The results show that the compressive strength and fracture toughness increase significantly with BNNSs increasing from 0.5 to 1.0 wt%. The remarkable improvement is ascribed to pull out and grain wrapping of BNNSs with AKM matrix. While, overlapping sheets is observed when more BNNSs are added, which results in the decline of mechanical properties. In addition, it is found that the composite scaffolds possess good apatite-formation ability when soaking in simulated body fluids, which have been confirmed by energy dispersed spectroscopy and flourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, MG63 osteoblast-like cells and human bone marrow stromal cells are seeded on the scaffolds. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirms that both cells adhere and proliferate well, indicating favorable cytocompatibility. All the facts demonstrate the AKM scaffolds reinforced by BNNSs have potential applications for tissue engineering.
Calcium silicate ( CaSiO 3) is a promising material due to its favorable biological properties. However, it was difficult to fabricate ceramic scaffolds with interconnected porous structure via conventional technology. In present study, CaSiO 3 scaffolds with totally interconnected pores were fabricated via selective laser sintering (SLS). The microstructure, mechanical and biological properties were examined. The results revealed that the powder gradually fused together with the reduction of voids and the elimination of particle boundary as the laser power increased in the range of 3–15 W with scanning electron microscope. Meanwhile the low-temperature phase (β- CaSiO 3) transformed into high-temperature phase (α- CaSiO 3) gradually, which decreased the mechanical properties of the obtained scaffolds. Besides, the compressive strength increased from 12.9 ± 2.34 MPa to 18.19 ± 1.24 MPa (the laser power is 12 w) and then decreased gradually with increasing laser power. In vitro biological properties of CaSiO 3 scaffolds sintered under optimal conditions indicated that the distribution of apatite mineralization became uniform as the amount of them increased after being immersed in simulated body fluids. In the meantime, the thin cytoplasmic extensions of MG-63 cells increased until formed a dense cell layer after 1–5 days of cell culture. The results suggested that the CaSiO 3 scaffold fabricated via SLS has potential application for bone tissue engineering.
Biodegradable polymer/bioceramic composite scaffolds can overcome the limitations of polymer scaffolds such as poor compressive strength and bioactivity. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol)/calcium silicate (CaSiO3) composite scaffolds with fully interconnected porous structures and customized shapes were successfully fabricated via selective laser sintering. The microstructure, porosity, and mechanical properties of the scaffolds were characterized. Based on the results, CaSiO3 particles were well dispersed and embedded in the poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix after sintering. The compressive strength increased with increasing the content of CaSiO3 up to 15 wt%, and then decreased with further increasing CaSiO3 content to 20 wt%. Our study also revealed that the scaffolds could not be fabricated successfully as fewer poly(vinyl alcohol) particles fused together when CaSiO3 was higher than 20 wt%. Based on the in vitro data, the poly(vinyl alcohol)/CaSiO3 composite scaffolds possess good bioactivity and cytocompatibility.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.