Onur Özgül

Master student

3D printing of PLA/BG composites for tissue engineering applications

 

Supervisors: Kanwal Ilyas, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Repair and regeneration of large bone defects is still a significant challenge, especially for defects which are irregular and complex. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, as an advanced fabrication technology, has been receiving considerable attention due to its high precision, customizable geometry and personalization. In bone tissue engineering, bioactive glasses and combinations of bioactive glasses (BGs) and biopolymers forming composites represent promising scaffolding materials [1]. The aim of this master thesis is to fabricate filaments and eventually to 3D-print BG-polymer composite scaffolds by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). The materials of choice hereby will be composites made of different compositions of BGs and polylactid acid (PLA).

[1] K. Rezwan, et al., Biodegradable and bioactive porous polymer/inorganic composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering, Biomaterials 27 (2006), 3413-3431.