Composite Magnetic Filaments: From Fabrication to Magnetic Hyperthermia Application

The printing of composite magnetic filaments using additive manufacturing techniques has emerged as a promising approach for biomedical applications, particularly in bone tissue engineering and magnetic hyperthermia treatments. This study focuses on the synthesis of nanocomposite ferromagnetic filaments and the fabrication of bone tissue scaffolds with time-dependent properties. Three classes of polylactic acid-based biocompatible polymers-EasyFil, Tough and Premium-were combined with magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) at concentrations of 10 wt% and 20 wt%. Extruded filaments were evaluated for microstructural integrity, printed dog-bone-shaped specimens were tested for elongation and mechanical properties, and cylindrical scaffolds were analyzed for magnetic hyperthermia performance. The tensile strength of EasyFil polylactic acid decreased from 1834 MPa (0 wt% Fe3O4) to 1130 MPa (-38%) at 20 wt% Fe3O4, while Premium polylactic acid showed a more moderate reduction from 1800 MPa to 1567 MPa (-13%). The elongation at break was reduced across all samples, with the highest decrease observed in EasyFil polylactic acid (from 42% to 26%, -38%). Magnetic hyperthermia performance, measured by the specific absorption rate, demonstrated that the 20 wt% Fe3O4 scaffolds achieved specific absorption rate values of 2-7.5 W/g, depending on polymer type. Our results show that by carefully selecting the right thermoplastic material, we can balance both mechanical integrity and thermal efficiency. Among the tested materials, Tough polylactic acid composites demonstrated the most promising potential for magnetic hyperthermia applications, providing optimal heating performance without significantly compromising scaffold strength. These findings offer critical insights into designing magnetic scaffolds optimized for tissue regeneration and hyperthermia-based therapies.