Sediment

Thermoplastic

Composite number

Engineering

Biology

Fabrication

Biomedical engineering

Materials science

Biocompatible material

Deposition (geology)

3D printing

Computer science

Protein filament

Nozzle

Geology

Paleontology

Polymer

Mechanical engineering

Alternative medicine

Fused filament fabrication

Nanotechnology

3d printer

Composite material

Medicine

Fused deposition modeling

Pathology

Materials Today Proceedings

Filament wire is used in fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printers as ink for 3D printing purposes. This filament is melted and extruded through the nozzle to print the 3D model. Polymers are widely used to fabricate filament owing to its thermoplastic characteristics. Nowadays, filament wire is made of composite materials that have been extensively studied as its properties are tailored to fulfill the chemical, physical, and mechanical requirements for biomedical applications. The composite material is designed to mimic the tissues or organs and is compatible with in vivo environments without any toxic effects or inflammations. However, there are numerous challenges when fabricating the composite filament to be used as feedstock for the FDM 3D printer, such as limited choices of biocompatible and bioactive materials, as well as difficulty in producing a filament with a constant diameter. Thus, this article reviews and discusses the current progress on fabrication of FDM composite filaments for biomedical applications.

Review on the fabrication of fused deposition modelling (FDM) composite filament for biomedical applications