(NHCE, 2026) Balaji AM-1NH22ME011 Ravi AM -1NH22ME045 Vivek Y-1NH22ME062
Current bone defect repair methods face limitations, including donor site morbidity and material availability. While 3D printing offers patient-specific solutions, optimising biomaterial filaments with both structural integrity and bioactivity remains a challenge. This project aims to develop and characterise novel composite filaments from polylactic acid (PLA) and calcium phosphate (TCP) for fused deposition modelling (FDM) of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. Medical-grade PLA and TCP will be precisely blended and melt-extruded into a homogenous filament using a single-screw extruder. The resulting composite filaments will undergo comprehensive characterisation for mechanical properties (tensile strength, flexural modulus), thermal behaviour (DSC, TGA), and morphology (SEM) to confirm uniform TCP dispersion. Printability will be assessed by fabricating complex scaffold designs. Preliminary in vitro studies will evaluate the biocompatibility and osteoinductive potential of the printed constructs.