The interesting mechanical properties of polyether ether ketone give the material a place among the foremost competitors when it comes to replacing metal. Fused deposition modeling has been recognized as an alternative method to process polyether ether ketone parts. In this study, the effect of different process parameters such as nozzle, bed, and radiant temperatures as well as printing speed and layer thickness on the tensile properties of three-dimensional printed polyether ether ketone was investigated. The optimization of the tensile properties of PEEK were studied by performing a reduced number of experiments, using the experimental design method based on the Taguchi approach which limits the number of experiments to 8 instead of 32. Results showed that a decent Young’s modulus was found by setting the nozzle temperature, print speed, and bed temperatures to their high levels and by setting the layer thickness and radiant temperature to their low level. Using these parameters, a Young’s modulus of 3.5 GPa was obtained, which represents 87.5% of the value indicated in the technical sheet. With these settings, we also found a tensile strength of 45.5 MPa, which corresponds to 46.4% of the value given by the studied polyether ether ketone material. A scanning electron microscopic investigation of the porosity and interlayer adhesion, confirmed that a higher bed temperature also tended to promote adhesion between layers.

In this study, a 3D printed PEEK with a specific design was proposed to restore the damaged orbit shape. Such printed personalized implants are greatly affected by the process parameters consequently; the effect of the nozzle temperatures, printing speed and layer thickness on tensile properties, based on Taguchi's approach was investigated. The optimal mechanical properties, i.e., tensile strength and Young's modulus were found to be 54.97 MPa and 2.67 GPa, respectively. These properties were obtained by adjusting the nozzle temperature to its high level (450°C), the layer thickness (0.1 mm) and printing speed (20 mm/s) to their low level. Secondly, the mechanical behavior of a personalized orbital implant with these optimized properties was evaluated via finite elements analysis with various infill pattern and density, at various thicknesses 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mm. According to the result, all thicknesses are acceptable for the 100% filling. For the Honeycomb pattern, the thicknesses 0.5 and 0.7 mm are satisfactory with the fill rate 70% and 55% filling and only the thickness of 0.7 mm is suitable for the 40% filling . The 40% filling Honeycomb pattern with the maximum stress (7.186 MPa) and strain (0.00627 mm) was beneficial for light weigh orbital implant.

This study focuses on developing bioactive PEEK composites for orthopedic and dental applications. While PEEK offers excellent strength, biocompatibility, and radiolucency, its biological inertness limits bone integration. Incorporating hydroxyapatite (HA) enhances PEEK’s bioactivity, improving osseointegration and bone cell adhesion for medical implants. The PEEK and PEEK/HA (20% HA) composites were fabricated using twin-screw extrusion and injection molding, ensuring uniform HA dispersion within the matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed increased surface roughness in PEEK/HA composites due to HA particles, improving cell adhesion and tissue integration. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) indicated that HA acts as a nucleating agent, raising crystallinity from 31.89% to 42.86%, enhancing rigidity and thermal stability without altering the melting temperature. Mechanical testing showed that HA addition increased maximum stress by 10.94% and Young’s modulus by 30.07%. In fact, pure PEEK offers a maximum stress of 96.83 MPa, a modulus of 2.96 GPa and a strain of 54.9%, combining strength and elasticity. With 20% HA, the stress reaches 107.43 MPa and the modulus 3.85 GPa, increasing stiffness and strength, but reducing the strain to 35.04%. This balance between enhanced stiffness and reduced flexibility makes PEEK/HA composites suitable for load-bearing applications like orthopedic implants.