Publication date: 30 July 2026
Source: Journal of Biomimetics, Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering Vol. 73
Author(s): Ajie Prasojo, Muslim Mahardika, Rini Dharmastiti, Jie Zhou, Budi Arifvianto
The medical grade 316L stainless steel has been widely used for biomedical implants, including bone tissue engineering scaffolds due to its excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. The space holder method offers a promising approach to producing highly porous 316L stainless steel scaffolds. However, several challenges in the implementation of this method remain unresolved, particularly the difficulties in controlling the geometrical changes of space holder particles during the compaction of stainless steel/carbamide powder mixtures, leading to inability to control pore characteristics of the scaffolds produced. In this study, the compaction behavior of stainless steel/carbamide powder mixtures was investigated to understand the interactions between metal particles and space holder particles in the preparation of porous stainless steel scaffolds. The impacts of key process parameters on the green density, such as the specific net energy applied during the process and the yield pressure derived from loading-unloading compression cycles, were analyzed with the aid of the Heckel model. The study provides useful insights into these relationships, facilitating the optimization of the compaction process to achieve desired scaffold architecture and contributing to consistent fabrication of porous 316L stainless steel scaffolds.
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DOI: 10.3390/ma7053588
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