Improvement in mechanical properties of three-dimensional printing parts made from natural polymers reinforced by acrylate resin for biomedical applications: a double infiltration approach

This study demonstrates that a double infiltration technique, when compared to traditional single infiltration, can increase the mechanical properties of natural polymers fabricated by three-dimensional printing using a water-based binder. Double infiltration decreases the water absorption and amount of water-soluble matter, and significantly increases flexural modulus and strength in wet conditions compared to single infiltration. These improvements can be related to the greater remaining load-bearing area and lower degree of plasticization of the structure. However, no improvements over single infiltration were observed for testing in dry conditions. (c) 2006 Society of Chemical Industry.