Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, wide use of 3D printing technologies has been enabled. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is the most widely used technique in 3D printing communities worldwide for the fabrication of medical components such as face shields and respiratory valves. In the current study, the potential of Polyamide 12 (PA12) silver-doped antibacterial nanopowder (AgDANP) nanocomposites is evaluated for everyday FFF usage. Filling loadings of 1.0-2.0-3.0 and 4.0 wt.% were selected for nanocomposite preparation. Mechanical performance analysis was conducted on the basis of tensile, flexural, impact, and Vickers microhardness measurements in FFF 3D-printed specimens. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images were used for morphology and processing evaluation, as well as thermal performance measurements, conducted by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) tests. Finally, the antibacterial performance was tested using the agar-well diffusion screening method, and the shape effect of the specimens was also investigated. The addition of 2.0 wt.% AgDANPs resulted in an enhancement of approximately 27% for both tensile and flexural stresses, while the antibacterial performance was sufficiently high among the nanocomposites tested. The shape effect exhibited the potential for antibacterial performance at low filling ratios, while the effect was diminished with increasing filler of AgDANPs.
Highlights
Additive manufacturing (AM) describes a family of technologies that can be used to fabricate parts in a layer-by-layer manner by adding materials [1]
Since, in contrast to Gramnegative E. coli, filler ratios above 3.0 wt.% still resulted in the increased antibacterial action of the nanocomposite
Since, in contrast to Gram-negative E. coli, filler ratios above 3.0 wt.% still resulted in the increased antibacterial action of the nanocomposite
Summary
Additive manufacturing (AM) describes a family of technologies that can be used to fabricate parts in a layer-by-layer manner by adding materials [1]. The interest of researchers and engineers in AM technologies has enhanced the development of a wide range of AM techniques [2], as well as an even wider range of composite materials [3]. One of the foremost advantages of using AM technologies is the manufacturability of high-complexity geometries [5]. This makes it possible to design without compromise [6], while it makes it possible to reduce the weight [7] of the structure and, as a result, optimize the necessary material usage for each component. The commercially accessible AM techniques include fused filament fabrication (FFF), stereolithography (SLA), and selective laser sintering (SLS)
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