Abstract
A custom-made prosthetic product is unique for each patient. Fossil-based thermoplastics are the dominant raw materials in both prosthetic and industrial applications; there is a general demand for reducing their use and replacing them with renewable, biobased materials. A transtibial prosthesis sets strict demands on mechanical strength, durability, reliability, etc., which depend on the biocomposite used and also the additive manufacturing (AM) process. The aim of this project was to develop systematic solutions for prosthetic products and services by combining biocomposites using forestry-based derivatives with AM techniques. Composite materials made of polypropylene (PP) reinforced with microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) were developed. The MFC contents (20, 30 and 40 wt%) were uniformly dispersed in the polymer PP matrix, and the MFC addition significantly enhanced the mechanical performance of the materials. With 30 wt% MFC, the tensile strength and Young´s modulus was about twice that of the PP when injection molding was performed. The composite material was successfully applied with an AM process, i.e., fused deposition modeling (FDM), and a transtibial prosthesis was created based on the end-user’s data. A clinical trial of the prosthesis was conducted with successful outcomes in terms of wearing experience, appearance (color), and acceptance towards the materials and the technique. Given the layer-by-layer nature of AM processes, structural and process optimizations are needed to maximize the reinforcement effects of MFC to eliminate variations in the binding area between adjacent layers and to improve the adhesion between layers.
Highlights
Fossil-based thermoplastics are the dominant raw materials in both prosthetic and industrial applications; there is a general demand for reducing their use and replacing them with renewable biobased materials [1,2]
Composite materials made of polypropylene reinforced by microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) were investigated
MFC materials (20, 30 and 40 wt%) were uniformly dispersed in the polymer PP matrix, and the mechanical performance of the materials was significantly enhanced by the addition of MFC
Summary
Fossil-based thermoplastics are the dominant raw materials in both prosthetic and industrial applications; there is a general demand for reducing their use and replacing them with renewable biobased materials [1,2]. Biocomposites, called natural fiber composites, can be made from many different types of plant fibers originating from bast, leaf, straw, grass, or wood [3]. Natural fibers from wood are normally pretreated by grinding and after this they are treated again by mechanical or chemical means to release fibrils from the wood fiber. In additive manufacturing (AM), industry fiber reinforcement is often needed to meet the strength requirement or other functions [7,8,9] to replace traditional materials such as aluminum in many applications [10]; in this context, MFC becomes an interesting renewable-source reinforcement
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