OBRABOTKAMETALLOV MATERIAL SCIENCE Vol. 27 No. 1 2025 The purpose of this research is to study a PEEK in Acrylate polymer-based biomaterial for hip-joint implant applications, which is 3D-printable at room temperature [26]. The study aims to determine the impact of reinforcement levels on microstructural integrity, elemental distribution, and wear performance, thereby aiding in the development of PEEK-based materials for orthopedic applications. Specifically, 3D-printed ASTM pins will be tested via pin-on-disc methodology to evaluate wear rate performance suitable for the long-term sustainability of implants. Digital light processing (DLP) 3D-printing was conducted at the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, Maharashtra, India. Wear testing was performed using equipment available at the Mechanical Engineering Department of VIIT, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Methods Material Preparation Composite material formulations included 0 wt. %, 5 wt. %, and 10 wt. % PEEK in an Acrylatebased matrix. The composite resins were prepared by mixing the PEEK with the Acrylate resin at varying PEEK concentrations (5 wt. % and 10 wt. %). Fig. 1 illustrates the process flow for preparing the resin for 3D-printing and subsequently fabricating physical objects via 3D-printing. The resin pre-processing involved dissolving reactive diluents, such as Tricyclo[5.2.1.02-6]decane dimethanol diacrylate (TCDDA), Ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate (BPAEDMA), and photoinitiators, in the resin binder. The resulting resin mixture was then loaded into a DLP 3D-printer, where the printing process was initiated through layer-by-layer curing of the material. In Digital light processing (DLP) 3D-printing, as depicted in Fig. 2, a, a digital projector is used to project an image of the entire layer of the object being printed onto the surface of a vat containing liquid photopolymer resin. Upon exposure to the projected image, selective solidification of the photopolymer resin occurs, conforming to the shape of the layer. After each layer is cured, the build platform is raised, separating the formed layer from the resin vat, and a volumetric 3D model of the object is built. A washing and post-curing machine is used to clean the resulting part and to achieve final polymerization of the resin (Fig. 2, b). The PEEK in Acrylate composite biomaterial was used to 3D-print ASTM-compliant pins and a final liner implant. Fig. 1. Material preparation methodology used in the study [26]
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