Additively-manufactured Mg wire-reinforced PLDL-matrix composites for biomedical applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Biodegradable polymers are crucial for medical implants and scaffolds.
• Magnesium (Mg) offers potential as a biodegradable reinforcement material.
• Fused filament fabrication (FFF) enables complex structure fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) (PLDL) composites reinforced with Mg wires using FFF.
• To investigate the effect of Mg wire surface treatment on composite properties.
• To evaluate the degradation behavior and mechanical performance of the developed composites.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PLDL/Mg wire composites via FFF.
• Surface treatment of Mg wires using plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO).
• Degradation studies in phosphate buffer solution.
• Mechanical testing (tensile, compression, shear).
• Microstructural analysis and interface strength evaluation.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated PLDL composites reinforced with 15% Mg wires using FFF.
• Mg wire reinforcement improved mechanical properties and accelerated composite degradation compared to pure PLDL.
• PEO surface treatment of Mg wires allowed further tailoring of mechanical behavior and corrosion rate.
• Analysis revealed micromechanisms of degradation and deformation.

Conclusions:

• FFF is a viable strategy for producing PLDL/Mg wire composites for biomedical applications.
• Mg reinforcement enhances mechanical integrity and degradation kinetics of PLDL.
• Surface modification of Mg wires offers a pathway to tune composite performance for specific implant requirements.
• This approach enables the fabrication of complex, multimaterial implants and scaffolds with tailored properties.