Characterization, modelling and optimization of the mechanical behaviour and failure of open porous material designs produced by rapid prototyping.

Porous materials are fabricated using a wide variety of different production techniques. Some techniques are material independent, others are highly material related. The evolution in production techniques, with a focus on rapid prototyping (RP) techniques, allows a transfer from random porous materials to the production of porous materials that are based on a robust computer design, thus allowing a high morphological property control and hence eventually a wider use. In order to support this evolution, which for example is of crucial importance for the design and production of bone tissue engineering scaffolds a detailed and quantified characterization and feedback to the production technique needs to be accomplished. The complex morphology of 3D porous materials to be used as bone scaffolds and to be studied in this project because of the mutual interest of all partners involved, justifies the need for quantified characteristics and the correlation between characteristics and performance (mechanical behaviour and failure) in order to optimize production techniques and finally improve properties by using innovative analysis techniques, which preferably are non-destructive and material independent.

Keywords:X-ray computed tomography, Material characterization, Non-destructive testing, Bone scaffolds, Rapid prototyping

Disciplines:Ceramic and glass materials, Materials science and engineering, Semiconductor materials, Other materials engineering