Novel ceramic composites for personalized 3D-structures

The objective of the presented work is to further introduce a new hybrid shaping technique and develop novel porous, near-net shaped composite structures e.g. for personalized bone replacement materials. The suspension-based additive manufacturing technique Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing provides a high structural resolution and the manufacturing of dense (> 99%) ceramic components with a high performance compared to other available AM techniques. On the other hand the so-called Freeze Foaming offers the possibility to achieve mainly open porous and interconnected sponge-like structures provably allowing the ingrowth and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The near-net shaping feasibility of this foaming technique was now used to foam the inner contours of complex LCM-manufactured ceramic shell structures in shape of a femoral bone model. After a co-sintering step they combine to structural composites with dense and porous features in one single 3D-structure. This contribution therefore provides insides into a new line of technology comprising a new freedom of degree in personalization and application such as bone replacement materials.