Development of HDPE-HA Biocomposite Through Single Screw Extrusion and Their Evaluation

An increasing number of accidents, trauma and also a growing number of cancers and infections have necessitated a need to develop biomaterials for implants to make the lives of the affected humans comfortable. Fortunately, bone repairs and replacements have also improved with the advancement in orthopaedic technologies and growing advancements in biomaterials. Bio composites of polymer and ceramics are very popular for bone repair or regeneration as their properties can be tailored to match the properties of natural bone. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is one of the most popular choices as a bio ceramic in bone regenerative surgeries as this is an inorganic material present in human bone and teeth naturally. HA can be synthesized successfully in a laboratory via various routes such as the Sol-Gel technique, wet chemical precipitation technique, hydrothermal technique, etc. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a biopolymer that can be processed by different methods. The Bio composite of HDPE-HA can be shaped by various 3D printing techniques like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) to name a few. In this work, a composite wire of HDPE-HA was extruded via a single screw extruder, and tested for tension to evaluate various mechanical properties like peak load, stress, strain, Young’s modulus, etc. The fractured surface of the wire was also studied to study the fracture modes. This composite wire can be used in a low-cost FDM 3D printer to create customized implants and scaffolds.