Additive Manufacturing of Antibacterial Surface Topographies and Nanocomposites

Additive manufacturing processes are gaining popularity for producing patient-specific biomedical equipment. For these applications, it is important that the materials are not prone to spreading infection. Herein, we examine how the fused filament fabrication process influences the morphology of surface grooves and how this affects bacterial adhesion and growth. Additionally, we made a silver nanoparticle and polylactic acid nanocomposite filament to determine its antimicrobial potential and silver ion release kinetics. For chapter three, we measured the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on polylactic acid surfaces printed with differing infill geometries and layer heights. In chapter four, we measured the silver ion concentrations released from samples made with the nanocomposite as functions of time and depth as well as the antibacterial effects of these samples. The findings of this research can be used to better understand how to manufacture objects with surfaces that inhibit microbial adhesion and growth.