Powder bed fusion on single lines of Cu-doped hydroxyapatite powder bed

• Laser-hydroxyapatite material interaction was used to produce ceramics delaminated ribbons (CDR) or anchored ribbons (CAR). • CDRs exhibit surface/bulk density gradients due to thermal conductivity / Mie scattering limiting laser penetration. • Crack patterning observed on CARs is correlated to the material’s isotherms during laser sintering. • CARs show “sandwich morphology” with a porous intermediate layer in between top and bottom dense layers due to substrate/film interface effect. This study aims to design ceramic scaffolds for precise bone reconstruction using Powder Bed Laser Sintering (PBLS) to create cohesive Cu-doped HAp ribbons from a single lasered line on a thin powder bed atop a silicate lime substrate. Depending on laser parameters, two ribbon types—delaminated (CDR) or anchored (CAR)—are produced, both exhibiting surface density gradients from the center to the edges. Microscale analysis reveals surface density gradients in both ribbon types, extending from center to edge. CDRs also show depth-wise density variations, resulting in mechanical stresses that cause detachment and curling. In CARs, intense local heating and thermal conductivity cause a temperature rise beyond the irradiated area. The substrate acts as a thermal barrier, concentrating heat at the film-substrate interface and ensuring ribbon adhesion. Cracks propagate perpendicular to isothermal lines, enabling controlled crack patterning.