Development of Antimicrobial PLA Composites for Fused Filament Fabrication

Abstract

In addition to possessing the desirable properties of being a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer fabricated from renewable resources, poly (lactic acid) (PLA) has useful mechanical and thermal attributes that has enabled it to be one of the most widely-used plastics for medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. Yet, PLA composites have not been heavily explored for use in 3D-printing applications, and the range of feasible materials for the technology is limited, which inhibits its potential growth and industry adoption. In this study, tunable, multifunctional antimicrobial PLA composite filaments for 3D-printing have been fabricated and tested via chemical, thermal, mechanical, and antimicrobial experiments. Thermally stable antimicrobial ceramics, ZnO and TiO2, were used as fillers up to 30 wt%, and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) was used as a plasticizer to tune the physical material properties. Results demonstrate that the PLA composite filaments exhibit the thermal phase behaviors and thermal stability suitable for 3D-printing. Additionally, PEG can be used to tune the mechanical properties while not affecting the antimicrobial efficacy that ZnO and TiO2 imbue.

Embracing Additive Manufacturing Technology through Fused Filament Fabrication for Antimicrobial with Enhanced Formulated Materials

“…Another study by Li et al reported the effects of Al 2 O 3 dispersed in a UV-curable acrylic-based resin, which may be compatible with SLA-3D Printing of micro components with complex shapes [ 46 ]. Yang et al reported a 3D Printing gel printing process that was based on a water-based gelation system that incorporates zirconia, which can be applied to develop complex parts for magnetic applications [ 72 ].…”

“…Furthermore, it is noteworthy to state that due to the sudden rise in the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive researches worldwide have been conducted focusing on the production and development of antimicrobial material just in the span of a year [ 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ]. More and more focus has been provided on the fabrication of antimicrobial surfaces with the incorporation of polymeric base along with additives [ 18 , 46 , 91 , 92 , 93 ]. The positive results from such antimicrobial studies have been promising and are providing hope to fight against such potent diseases.…”

“…In particular, the use of antimicrobial composite material along with FFF specifically for bio-applications has been widely studied [ 44 , 45 ]. For instance, biodegradable polymers such polylactic acid- (PLA) based polymers are often used to develop filament that possess antibacterial properties using FFF as discussed by Bronstein et al [ 46 ]. Moreover, the antibacterial property is added with the help of processing techniques such as co-extrusion with particles for instance using chitosan as studied by Mania et al [ 18 ] or using metallic nanoparticles as done by Rezić et al [ 47 ].…”

Tuning the 3D Printability and Thermomechanical Properties of Radiation Shields

“…Indeed, major progress in vat polymerization [ 1 , 2 ], selective laser melting [ 3 , 4 ], and direct ink writing (DIW) [ 5 , 6 , 7 ] has demonstrated the variety of means in which advanced composites can be used to construct geometries and structures that traditional manufacturing techniques have difficulty fabricating. DIW 3D printing, a technology under the ISO/ASTM 52900:2015 category of material extrusion, includes ink jet printing [ 8 , 9 , 10 ], micropen writing [ 11 , 12 ], fused filament fabrication (FFF) [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], hot-melt extrusion [ 16 , 17 ], and robocasting [ 18 , 19 ] and is especially useful because of the wide array of material selection available and the continued development which increases the capabilities of these techniques. DIW, in particular, is especially suitable for advanced materials capabilities due to its range of ink formulations and versatility in part extrusion and curing.…”

A Brief Review on the Influence of Ionic Liquids on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Chemical Properties of Biodegradable Polymer Composites

“…The biodegradable polymer composites with a high dielectric constant and dielectric loss factors can potentially be developed as conductive substrates or semiconductors for electronic applications [ 36 ]. The homogenous biodegradable polymer composites fabrication can also be utilized for 3D-printing applications [ 37 ]. In addition, biodegradable polymer composites can be fabricated by incorporating bioactive compounds for application in both cosmetic patches and medical patches [ 38 ].…”