Additive Manufacturing of Hydroxyapatite

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
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ABSTRACT
The original intended reason for development of 3D printing which was rapid prototyping has
witnessed tremendous advancements in the various additive manufacturing techniques that have
seen the technology being applicable in numerous fields. Despite the good features of ceramics,
the properties including brittleness and hardness render bioceramics a challenge when it comes
to their manufacture. This study provides an overview of the manufacturing process of
hydroxyapatite (Ca10 (PO4)6(OH) 2) as far as the advancements in the same have been attained.
Hydroxyapatite has specifically been studied for the last twenty years for their applications in
dentistry and orthopaedics mainly due to their features which include bioactivity,
biocompatibility as well as osteoconduction with respect to the host tissues.
INTRODUCTION
Away from the original intended reason for development which was rapid prototyping, there
have been witnessed tremendous advancements in the various additive manufacturing techniques
that have seen the technology being applicable in numerous fields inclusive of medicine and
engineering which are the largest occupants of the global sectors. The outcomes of the
developments or improvements in such technologies to come up with complex designs that are
not easily attainable via the conventional techniques are a result of an advancement inn their
properties alongside the decrease in the cost of the prefabricated components [1]. Through
additive manufacturing, the process of development of a product is greatly fastened, the design
suffers less constrain and the need for special tools for fabrication is eliminated thereby enabling
the manufacture of an avalanche of components through additive manufacturing especially in the
biomedical fields.

Figure 1: 3D models & object of components
Bioceramics are one type of materials that are strongly bonded and often exhibit a range of
excellent qualities including chemical resistance alongside the ability to tolerate processes that
require very high temperatures. Despite the good features, the properties including brittleness
and hardness render bioceramics a challenge when it comes to their manufacture. This has
provided a window for investigation of additive manufacturing as yet another option that may be
deployed in the manufacture of the material as the areas of application of technical ceramics calls
for the material to be of fine structures, regulated interconnectivity as well as sizes of the power
alongside complex geometries [2]. The conventional methods that were used in the production of
components of ceramics included numerous varied processes which came along with lengthy
steps that were as well expensive.

LITERATURE REVIEW
This study provides an overview of the manufacturing process of hydroxyapatite (Ca10
(PO4)6(OH) 2) as far as the advancements in the same have been attained to this extent and
hence the opportunities for future research on the same.
Hydroxyapatite (HA)
Ceramics of calcium phosphate and more categorically hydroxyapatite (Ca10 (PO4)6(OH) 2) are
often used as substitutes for synthetic graft, fillers as well as spacers. Hydroxyapatite has
specifically been studied for the last twenty years for their applications in dentistry and
orthopaedics mainly due to their features which include bioactivity, biocompatibility as well as
osteoconduction with respect to the host tissues [3].
Figure 2: MC3T3-E1 cells morphology for hydroxyapatite sample
3D scaffolds of poly ether ether ketone hydroxyapatite biocomposites was obtained by Tan et al.
with the use of laser sintering. Porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds were successfully prepared by
Shao et al. for use in bone tissue engineering with the use of 3D printing technology.
Hydroxyapatite bone tissues scaffolds were also fabricated by Sophie et al. using 3D printing and