title: Fabrication of porous titanium implants by three-dimensional printing and sintering at different temperatures.
abstract: This study evaluated the feasibility of using three-dimensional printing (3DP) to fabricate porous titanium implants. Titanium powder was blended with a water-soluble binder material. Green, porous, titanium implants fabricated by 3DP were sintered under protective argon atmosphere at 1,200, 1,300, or 1,400°C. Sintered implant prototypes had uniform shrinkage and no obvious shape distortion after sintering. Evaluation of their mechanical properties revealed that titanium prototypes sintered at different temperatures had elastic modulus of 5.9-34.8 GPa, porosity of 41.06-65.01%, hardness of 115.2-182.8 VHN, and compressive strength of 81.3-218.6 MPa. There were significant differences in each type of these data among the different sintering temperatures (p<0.01). Results of this study confirmed the feasibility of fabricating porous titanium implants by 3DP: pore size and pore interconnectivity were conducive to bone cell ingrowth for implant stabilization, and the mechanical properties matched well with those of the human bone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yaoyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D001128:Argon / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D019245:Compressive Strength; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D015921:Dental Implants; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006244:Hardness; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry; D016062:Porosity; D011205:Povidone / Q000737:chemistry; D011208:Powders; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D015921:Dental Implants; D003764:Dental Materials; D011208:Powders; D014867:Water; D001128:Argon; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D014025:Titanium; D011205:Povidone