Abstract
This work explores the rapid sintering of 3D-plotted tricalcium phosphate (TCP) scaffolds with the aim of getting the on-demand scaffold fabrication closer towards the clinical practice. The sintering trajectories of TCP scaffolds at 1100 and 1200 °C show that 10 min of reactive sintering together with a fast heating rate (100 °C min-1) result in a superior densification without significant grain growth, increasing the compressive strength 1.5–2.5 times. Furthermore, hardness and elastic modulus increase 8 times as compared to conventional sintering. The mechanical performance is not compromised by the formation of alpha-TCP at 1200 °C, since it originates by chemical reaction instead of a phase transformation mechanism, avoiding cracking due to crystalline lattice expansion.
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