Alloy development for additive manufacturing of prostheses and reconstructive implants

This project is motivated by new possibilities of 3D-printing in medical treatment where custom-made, print-on-demand components with state-of-the-art properties are made available for prostheses and implants needed in dental restoration and reconstructive surgery following severe trauma or illness. The University of Stavanger and the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials are engaged in a bilateral research collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials to investigate the replacement of traditionally produced implants and medical prostheses with parts produced by metal additive manufacturing (MAM). 3D-printing of metals by the use of MAM is a developing technology where the influence of printing parameters and their impact on material properties need to be mapped and understood based on microstructural relationships. A major part of this study will be to find the best solutions for the chemical composition of possible metallic alloys and 3D-printing parameters, based on fruitful combination of analyses of mechanical and corrosion properties, together with details of the material structure down to nano-scale. The replacement of traditional production processes and materials for implants and prostheses by MAM will offer advantages in several areas: 1) Economical/environmental: Reducing the material need, thus the costs and energy use. 2) Health: Providing easier accessible and customized prostheses and implants, and, 3) Societal: Reducing the use of cobalt in the used alloys, where extraction is conflictual and the supply is restricted. Knowledgetransfer from the project has already taken place, as this technology has now been used to help patients in India in need of reconstructive surgery. This projects work towards increasing the fundamental knowledge about solid-state reactions in MAM that will also be useful in other industries. MAM processes enables, among others, print-on-demand, which may reduce the need for production of unused spare parts, reducing costs, material use, energy and space.

This project aims to investigate the replacement of traditionally produced implants and medical prostheses with parts produced by additive manufacturing (AM). This will reduce the need for raw material and enable print-on-demand possibilities, providing an easy method to supply customised parts with rapid delivery. The composition is to be optimized to minimise the use of cobalt, a sought-after natural resource, while preserving the strength and mechanical properties found in conventionally produced samples. 3D-printing of metals (Metal AM) is a new technology where the combination of printer-parameters for different alloys, material properties and microstructure is not fully known. Printed alloys for use in medical treatment are considered advanced materials, early in their technological life-cycle, taking advanced production procedures and nanotechnology into use. In this discipline the need for custom made components with state-of-the-art technological properties is high, and may be filled by the use of AM, also capable of repairing damaged parts and build final shaped parts. To find the best solutions for composition and production parameters, testing of mechanical strength and corrosion properties together with detailed analyses of the material structure down to nano-scale will be a major part of this study. The project is to study samples fabricated of CoCr alloys by Direct Metal Laser Sintering methods, popularly known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM). This will lay the basis for developing alloys safe for implanting, with the benefits of digital design techniques and economies of reduced material consumption of SLM. The project is a research collaboration between India and Norway between Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, The University of Stavanger and the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials with focus on advanced materials for health improvement and new medical technology.