Fabrication and characterization of PMMA/ZrO2 nanocomposite 3D printing filaments

The 3D printing PMMA/ZrO 2 filaments with a diameter of 1.75 ± 0.05 mm were fabricated by using a single-screw extruder at temperatures of four heating zones of 190, 200, 210, and 210°C. Testing samples were prepared from the extruded filaments by using a fusion deposition modeling 3D printer and a Haake MiniJet piston injection molding machine. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical properties, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis of the filaments were investigated. It was suggested the formation of physical and molecular interactions between surface hydroxyl groups of ZrO 2 nanoparticles and C-O-C groups of PMMA in the PMMA/ZrO 2 filaments. FESEM images of the filaments indicated the good dispersion of ZrO 2 nanoparticles in the PMMA matrix, nevertheless, there was still the formation of clusters of ZrO 2 nanoparticles in the nanocomposite filaments. The incorporation of nano ZrO 2 increased the thermal properties, bending, and tensile moduli of PMMA. The mechanical properties of the 3D-printed samples were lower than those of the molded samples. However, the bending strength of the 3D-printed samples was much higher than 50 MPa, bending modulus was much higher than 1800 MPa, as required for acrylic bone cement (in ISO 5833:2002).