Additive manufacturing of a super toughened biodegradable polymer blend: Structure-property-processing correlation and 3D printed prosthetic part development

The study revealed that a nozzle temperature of 180 °C, a rectilinear infill pattern, 100% infill density, and solid layers raster angle of 0° resulted in high mechanical properties with a notched Izod impact strength of 489.75 ± 16.6 J/m. Additionally, the study compared the mechanical properties of 3D printed and injection-molded samples. The 3D printed samples demonstrated comparable tensile strength to injection-molded samples, with only a 2% difference, and exhibited higher tensile and flexural moduli, showcasing 8 and 10% increases, respectively.

However, there was a 10% decrease in impact strength compared to that of the injection-molded counterparts. These findings indicate that the 3D printed blend offers mechanical properties comparable to injection molding, making it a promising alternative for biomedical applications. A 3D printed leg prosthesis prototype has been developed using the formulated blend at optimized printing conditions.