5. Rheometer.
6. Computer equipped with CAD software.
7. Mini extruder equipped with 1.5 mm die.
8. Pushing rod.
9. Aluminum foil.
10. Vacuum bags.
11. Vacuum sealer.
12. Fused deposition modelling apparatus and relative controlling
and slicing softwares.
13. 3D-fiber deposition apparatus and relative controlling and slicing softwares.
14. Bioextrusion apparatus and relative controlling and slicing
softwares.
15. Double-sided tape.
16. 70% ethanol
17. SEM sample holders and carbon conductive tape.
18. Liquid nitrogen.
19. Razor blade.
20. SEM apparatus.
21. Sputter coater apparatus (including argon and gold reservoirs).
3 Methods
The methods described below apply to all three formats of thermoplastic printing, namely, fused deposition modelling (FDM),
3D-fiber deposition (3DF), and bioextrusion, unless differently
specified. First, the thermal transitions of the material were analyzed via DSC to determine the temperature region where the
polymer is in molten state and can therefore be processed. Then
rheometry was used to simulate the flow behavior during printing
and to understand the polymer response to processing conditions.
3.1 Material
Characterization
Insights about the thermal and rheological properties of a thermoplastic material are very useful for determining its processing conditions. Two material characterization tests that provide such useful
insights are differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheometry.
3.1.1 DSC
The DSC measurements described here were run under nitrogen
atmosphere and by using a hermetically sealed empty aluminum
pan as a reference. The resulting plot for 300PEOT55PBT45 is
shown in Fig. 11. To increase the accuracy of the measurements, see
Notes 1–3:
AM of Thermoplastics for Tissue Engineering
79
6. Computer equipped with CAD software.
7. Mini extruder equipped with 1.5 mm die.
8. Pushing rod.
9. Aluminum foil.
10. Vacuum bags.
11. Vacuum sealer.
12. Fused deposition modelling apparatus and relative controlling
and slicing softwares.
13. 3D-fiber deposition apparatus and relative controlling and slicing softwares.
14. Bioextrusion apparatus and relative controlling and slicing
softwares.
15. Double-sided tape.
16. 70% ethanol
17. SEM sample holders and carbon conductive tape.
18. Liquid nitrogen.
19. Razor blade.
20. SEM apparatus.
21. Sputter coater apparatus (including argon and gold reservoirs).
3 Methods
The methods described below apply to all three formats of thermoplastic printing, namely, fused deposition modelling (FDM),
3D-fiber deposition (3DF), and bioextrusion, unless differently
specified. First, the thermal transitions of the material were analyzed via DSC to determine the temperature region where the
polymer is in molten state and can therefore be processed. Then
rheometry was used to simulate the flow behavior during printing
and to understand the polymer response to processing conditions.
3.1 Material
Characterization
Insights about the thermal and rheological properties of a thermoplastic material are very useful for determining its processing conditions. Two material characterization tests that provide such useful
insights are differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheometry.
3.1.1 DSC
The DSC measurements described here were run under nitrogen
atmosphere and by using a hermetically sealed empty aluminum
pan as a reference. The resulting plot for 300PEOT55PBT45 is
shown in Fig. 11. To increase the accuracy of the measurements, see
Notes 1–3:
AM of Thermoplastics for Tissue Engineering
79