3D printing or additive manufacturing is an emerging technique for the fabrications of biomedical components. Several researchers are working on fabrications of the biomedical components, future prospective of implantation, and transplantation aspects. The current review presents a meticulous summary of research work done so far by the researchers in the view of design and fabrications about biomedical components by using 3D printing technology such as fused deposition modeling (FDM), inkjet printing, stereolithography, and selective laser sintering (SLS). The design and fabrications of biomedical components include 3D printing of bone, low-cost high-quality prosthetics, intervertebral disks, medical equipment, heart valve, building tissues using blood vessels and drugs. The objective of this review article is to explore different additive manufacturing processes, challenges, and future developments for 3D printing for biomedical components.

In this study, natural deposits of Kankara kaolin clay were collected and investigated in order to determine physical, microstructural, thermal, and firing properties and assess clay’s suitability as starting material for various ceramic applications. Chemical analysis of the clay was performed using XRF. Mineralogical analysis and thermal analysis of the clay were conducted using XRD and thermogravimetric thermal analysis (TGA)/differential thermal analysis (DTA), respectively. In order to assess its ceramic behavior, the clay was fired at 900–1200 °C. Maturation characteristics of fired ceramics were assessed by measuring bulk density, apparent porosity, and shrinkage. It was found that main oxides in the clay are alumina, silica, and potassium oxide, while other oxides are present in trace quantities. Kaolinite, quartz, and illite are the phases found from the XRD results, while mullite ceramic phase formed at firing temperature above 1100 °C. Maturation tests showed that ceramic properties such as bulk density and shrinkage increase with temperature, while apparent porosity decreases with temperature. The results presented in this study prove that the clay is an appropriate material for producing traditional ceramics.

No abstract

No abstract