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This paper discusses the influence of process parameters on the degradation and the mechanical properties of laser-sintered polylactide (PLA) microspheres obtained using the novel dual beam laser sintering method (DBLS). DBLS is a technique developed by our team that is a modification of standard polymer laser sintering (pLS), with the potential to reduce polymer degradation during the process. The PLA microspheres were produced using the standard emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The laser sintering process was carried out in a wide range of process parameters to obtain samples with various degrees of sintering. Next a number of tests were conducted to assess the physicochemical properties of these samples, including visualization techniques (SEM, digital microscopy and photography), gel permeation chromatogrphy (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and static compression tests. The work shows that for different sets of process parameters, it is possible to obtain a product with similar mechanical properties, but at the same time with a completely different degree of polymer degradation. Hence, the hypothesis that when assessing the sinter quality one should take into account not only the mechanical properties of the detail, but also the degree of polymer degradation, which is of great importance, for example, in biomedical applications. It has also been shown that the DBLS method has a potential to reduce the degree of degradation of the sintered polymers and the post-process material outside the sintering zone.

The paper presents a detailed description of the method of carrying out static tensile tests in ex-situ X-ray computed tomography (XCT) conditions. The study compares samples manufactured with the use of additive technology in two orientations, horizontally and vertically, which correspond to the in-layer and between-layer sintering mechanisms. Both the fracture mechanism and porosity behavior differed significantly for the two manufacturing directions. The conducted analysis made it possible to compare the changes in porosity, the number of pores, and also their diameters and shape before and after the tensile test. This allows for in-depth identification and better understanding of the phenomena occurring during the static tensile test of polyamide-12 samples manufactured using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology.

In this paper, polyamide 12 (PA12) blends with three types of metallic fillers are tested, which differ in the type of material and its’ morphology. Low content mixtures are taken into consideration (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0 wt%), since a low impact on mechanical properties along with obtaining antibacterial properties are desired. The investigation focuses on filler distribution as well as the influence on microstructural homogeneity of the base material after processing with polymer Laser Sintering. Moreover, the influence of the filler content on the mechanical properties and fracture behaviour were examined. Processability PA12 with bioactive metal fillers was confirmed, and no significant changes in ductile behaviour of PA 12 were observed. An in-depth analysis of the effect of the filler on microstructural homogeneity was conducted. Graphical abstract

A comparison of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(l-lactide)/hydroxyapatite (PLLA/HAp) biocomposite microspheres fabricated by emulsion solvent evaporation technique designed for laser sintering (LS) applications is presented. Key properties such as thermal and structural as well as geometry, size distribution and powder flowability, which are crucial for this technique, are characterized to validate the applicability of microspheres for LS. The biocomposite microspheres turns out to be more suitable for the LS process than PLLA due to the higher thermal stability, broader sintering window and higher powder flowability.

This paper presents the current state-of-the art of additive manufacturing (AM) applications in the biomedical field, especially in tissue engineering. Multiple advantages of additive manufacturing allow to precise three-dimensional objects fabrication with complex structure using various materials. Depending on the purpose of the manufactured part, different AM technologies are implemented, in which a specific material can be utilized. In the biomedical field, there are used several techniques such as: Binder Jetting, Material Extrusion, Material Jetting, Powder Bed Fusion, Sheet Lamination, Vat Polymerization. This article focuses on the utilization of polymer materials (natural and synthetic) taking into account hydrogels in scaffolds fabrication. Assessment of polymer scaffolds mechanical properties enables personalized patient care, as well as prevents damage after implantation in human body. By controlling process parameters it is possible to obtain optimised mechanical properties of manufactured parts.

In the era of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the most demanding areas was the supply of healthcare systems in essential Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), including face-shields and hands-free door openers. This need, impossible to fill by traditional manufacturing methods, was met by implementing of such emerging technologies as additive manufacturing (AM/3D printing). In this article, Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filaments for Fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology in the context of the antibacterial properties of finished products were analyzed. The methodology included 2D radiography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis to determine the presence of antimicrobial additives in the material and their impact on such hospital pathogens as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Clostridium difficile. The results show that not all tested materials displayed the expected antimicrobial properties after processing in FFF technology. The results showed that in the case of specific species of bacteria, the FFF samples, produced using the declared antibacterial materials, may even stimulate the microbial growth. The novelty of the results relies on methodological approach exceeding scope of ISO 22196 standard and is based on tests with three different species of bacteria in two types of media simulating common body fluids that can be found on frequently touched, nosocomial surfaces. The data presented in this article is of pivotal meaning taking under consideration the increasing interest in application of such products in the clinical setting.

In the work, for the first time, the method of Dual Beam Laser Sintering of polymers (DBLS) was presented, in which, instead of heating the entire volume of the polymer throughout the entire process, a second, additional laser was used for selective in terms of volume and time heating of the material. The principle of operation and the design of the prototype are presented. Using the developed station, an experiment was carried out for sintering samples from technical polylactide powder as a function of selected process parameters. It confirmed the functionality of the method and proved that the sintering process can be controlled in a fairly wide range for the proposed method. A preliminary comparison of changes in the physicochemical properties of the obtained samples in relation to the samples sintered by standard laser sintering was carried out using Gel Permeation Chromatography, Fourier Transform Infrared Reflectance and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The experiment showed that the presented method has the potential to limit the thermal degradation of sensitive polymer materials.

Comparison of the influence of conditioning temperature of microspheres made of medical grade poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and polylactide with 4wt.% of D-lactide content (PLA), on its thermal and structural properties is presented. The microspheres were fabricated by solid-in-oil-in-water method for application in additive manufacturing. The microspheres were annealed below glass transition temperature (Tg), above Tg but below onset of cold crystallization, and at two temperatures selected from the range of cold crystallization corresponding to crystallization of α’ and α form of poly(L-lactide) respectively, i.e., at 40°C, 70°C, 90°C and 120°C, in order to verify the influence of conditioning temperatures on sinterability of microspheres set as sintering window (SW). Based on differential scanning calorimetry measurements SW of microspheres were evaluated with consideration of existence of cold crystallization and reorganization of crystal polymorph. The results indicate that the conditioning temperature influence on availability and range of SW that depending on the D-lactide presence. We postulate the need for an individual approach for polylactide powders in determining the SW as a temperature range free of any thermal events. Moreover, other core powder characteristic, such as residual solvent content, morphology, particle size distribution, powder flowability and thermal conductivity, as a key property for successful laser sintering, are characterized. The microspheres are close to sphere and the size of microspheres are below 100 µm. Residual solvents content decreases with the increase of annealing temperature. The thermal conductivity is 0.073 W/mK and 0.064 W/mK for PLA and PLLA microspheres, respectively, and it depends on the spherical shape of the microspheres. Furthermore, the WAXD studies prove that an increase in the conditioning temperature causes a slight increase in crystallinity degree for PLLA microspheres and clear increase in crystallization for PLA microspheres.

Almost one-third of the revenues of the Additive Manufacturing (AM) machines market is generated by desktop systems. A new category of such devices are Laser Sintering (LS) machines, in which we can find a few representatives of this group. A growing interest in the use of desktop AM solutions in research and industry is visible, and therefore an evaluation of its capabilities and limitations is desirable. The presented paper focuses on comparing desktop (Sintratec S1, Sinterit Lisa) and industrial (Formiga P110) LS systems. The properties of raw materials were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), as well as by determining the Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and static and dynamic flowability of powder. Laser Sintering commercial sets were characterized by their mechanical properties (tensile strength), surface quality (roughness), as well as by their accuracy and porosity (computed tomography). The conducted test showed significant differences, especially in the case of material properties and manufacturing repeatability. The found differences between desktop and industrial LS systems suggest that the use of a low-budget LS system, especially for the research and production of end-use parts, has to take into account its limitations.