Incorporation of Silver Nanoparticles into Polyamide Powder for Application in 3D Printing

Objects obtained by 3D printing have gained attention and relevance due to their application in various areas of knowledge and their expanded market. In the medical field, the demand for antimicrobial agents has led to increased research into commercially viable compounds that meet these requirements. In this study, we aimed to incorporate silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into polyamide 12 (PA 12) powder and to apply the resulting powder as raw material in 3D printing. AgNPs were incorporated into PA 12 powder in an aqueous medium. Reduction was conducted by the sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) and sodium citrate (Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 , as a stabilizer) chemical route. Incorporating AgNPs into PA 12 in the powder form allowed us to fabricate pieces containing the antimicrobial agent, thereby ensuring the desired properties and making the use of these pieces on a larger scale feasible. The PA 12 powder, the AgNP-modified PA 12 powder, and the printed piece containing AgNPs were characterized, and AgNP incorporation was confirmed by electron spectroscopy, through the silver plasmon band. Biological assessment of the AgNP-modified PA 12 powder showed its low cytotoxicity as well as its antimicrobial activity against E. coli .