Selective laser sintering of PCL/TCP composites for tissue engineering scaffolds

This article investigates the fabrication of polycaprolactone (PCL) composites filled with different volume fractions (10-30%) of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) by selective laser sintering (SLS) for tissue engineering scaffolds. Optimal processing parameters for each composition were developed by design of experiments (DOE). To investigate optimal structure with the ordered porosities for tissue engineering scaffold, specimens with four different geometries were generated and compressive mechanical tests were conducted. Furthermore, the experimentally measured compressive moduli for solid specimen were compared with moduli predicted by Halpin's theoretical model, and were found to be in excellent agreement. The results of this study can provide invaluable information for further developing and fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds with adequate mechanical load-bearing function and desirable porosity for applications.