Wingham, J.R. orcid.org/0000-0002-8331-9206, Omran, M., Shepherd, J. orcid.org/0000-0001-7661-0698 et al. (1 more author) (2021) Effect of steam autoclaving on laser sintered polyamide 12. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 27 (1). pp. 45-52. ISSN 1355-2546
Abstract
Purpose The use of laser sintering (LS) in the medical sector has increased dramatically in recent years. With the move towards direct use of these parts in clinical applications, there is a greater need to understand the effects of standard processes on the part properties. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that steam sterilisation has on the mechanical properties of LS polyamide 12 parts.
Design/methodology/approach The research presented here focusses on the effect of a single steam sterilisation cycle on the mechanical properties of polyamide 12 parts manufactured using LS. The influence of water content on the properties was investigated, with additional drying steps trialled to establish the potential to reverse any changes observed and to determine their root cause.
Findings The results show that steam sterilisation has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of LS polyamide 12 parts, with a 39% reduction in elastic modulus, a 13% decrease in ultimate tensile strength and a 64% increase in the elongation at break. These properties were also all found to correlate with the water content, suggesting that this was the cause of the difference. The original properties of the parts were able to be recovered after oven drying.
Practical implications These results show that with an additional drying step, LS polyamide 12 parts can be steam sterilised with no effect on the mechanical properties.
Originality/value This is believed to be the first investigation into the effects of steam sterilisation in isolation on LS polyamide 12 parts, the first instance of drying parts to recover mechanical properties and the first instance of multiple water content measurements being directly linked to the mechanical properties.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Rapid Prototyping Journal. This version is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. |
Keywords: | Laser sintering; Polyamide 12; Sterilisation; Water content |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Mechanical Engineering (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Clinical Dentistry (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 1949272 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 19 Nov 2020 11:28 |
Last Modified: | 02 Feb 2022 12:02 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/rpj-11-2019-0288 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:168168 |