Optimization of Selective Laser Sintering Process Parameters Based on PA12 Powders for Bone Tissue Scaffolds

Area of Science:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is a key additive manufacturing technique.
• Process parameters critically influence the mechanical properties of SLS-fabricated parts.
• Polyamide 12 (PA12) is a widely used material in SLS for producing functional components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of process parameters on the mechanical properties of porous PA12 scaffolds fabricated via SLS.
• To identify optimal SLS parameters for achieving superior mechanical performance.
• To evaluate the mechanical properties of a 60% uniform porosity scaffold produced under optimized conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Area Energy Density (AED), calculated from laser power, scanning speed, and scanning space, as the primary parameter index.
• Fabricated cubic and cylindrical PA12 samples using SLS under varying AED conditions.
• Assessed mechanical properties, density, dimensional accuracy, and microstructure of the fabricated samples.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal SLS parameters: 16 W laser power, 2500 m/s scanning speed, and 0.12 mm scanning space.
• Fabricated a 60% uniform porosity PA12 scaffold with optimized parameters.
• Achieved an elastic modulus of 87.79 MPa, yield strength of 8.25 MPa, and Poisson's ratio of 0.3 for the optimized scaffold.
• Finite element simulations showed good agreement with experimental results.

Conclusions:

• Optimized SLS process parameters significantly enhance the mechanical properties of porous PA12 scaffolds.
• The identified optimal parameters provide a reliable method for fabricating high-performance PA12 components via SLS.
• The study offers valuable insights for material selection and process optimization in additive manufacturing of PA12.