Characterization and dynamic mechanical analysis of selective laser sintered hydroxyapatite-filled polymeric composites

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a manufacturing technique which enables the final product to be made directly and rapidly, without tooling or additional machining. For biomedical applications, SLS permits the fabrication of implants and scaffolds with complex geometry accurately and economically. In this study, hydroxyapatite-reinforced polyethylene and polyamide composites were fabricated using SLS. The SLS samples were characterized in terms of their internal structure, morphology, and porosity. The mechanical properties were examined by dynamic mechanical analysis. The effects of SLS processing conditions, including particle size and laser power, were investigated, and the results were compared with conventional compression-molded and machined specimens. The internal structure of sintered samples was porous, with open interconnected pores, and the pore size was up to 200 pm. Particle size and laser energy play a key role in the final density and mechanical properties of the sintered components. In the parameter range used, the use of smaller particles produced higher density and stiffness, and the laser-induced energy could also be varied to optimize the manufacturing process. This study demonstrated that high-HA-content reinforced polymer composite can be successfully manufactured by SLS with controlled porosity features. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.