MECHANICAL EVALUATION OF 3D PRINTED POLYCAPROLACTONE SCAFFOLDS: EFFECT OF MOLECULAR WEIGHT

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) scaffold fabrication with appropriate architectural and mechanical properties is one of the critical components of tissue engineering. There are many traditional/conventional scaffold fabrication techniques such as electrospinning, gas foaming, freeze-drying etc. More recently, there has been increasing interest in the use of 3D printing technologies in scaffold fabrication for tissue engineering application. With the use of 3D printing technology, scaffolds with desired porosity and target damage/tissue architecture can be developed. Various 3D printing based scaffold production studies by using different types of synthetic or natural polymers are available in the literature. In the selection of polymers to be used for printing, parameters such as target scaffold mechanical properties, porosity and solubility should be considered. For example, it is well known that the molecular weights of the polymers can significantly affect the final scaffold mechanical properties. In this study, the effects of molecular weight and nozzle moving speed on the mechanical and physical properties of 3D printed scaffolds were evaluated. For this purpose, biocompatible PCL polymer with different molecular weights was used and ten-layered scaffolds were fabricated at different nozzle speeds. Then, mechanical, morphological and physical properties of the printed scaffolds were analyzed.