Antibacterial Efficacy of Non-Copper Polymer Based Composite Enhanced with Metallic Particles Using Fused Deposition Modeling

The aim of this experimental investigation is to assess the antibacterial resistance of a biodegradable Polylactic acid (PLA) based composite material enriched with non-copper metallic particles, notably Stainless Steel, and Aluminum as alternatives to copper. The composite materials were processed using additive manufacturing technology using commercial fused deposition modeling printers to produce samples for antibacterial testing. The antibacterial materials were assessed according to international standards to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy at different time intervals. It has been disclosed that the biodegradable PLA composite enhanced with Stainless Steel or Aluminum demonstrated an excellent resistance against distinct kinds of bacteria through the observed significant reduction in the bacteria levels.