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Biocompatibility-enhanced titanium powder 3D printing is reshaping the medical implant industry

In the medical implant sector, material safety and compatibility are directly linked to patient health and well-being. Titanium powder, with its exceptional biocompatibility, has become a golden partner for 3D printing technology. Titanium itself is one of the metals most tolerated by human tissue. Titanium powder, prepared through specialized processes, can be precisely transformed into medical implants tailored to individual needs through 3D printing, fundamentally changing the limitations of traditional implants, which rely on a one-size-fits-all approach.

High-quality titanium powder for 3D printing must meet stringent quality standards, typically requiring a sphericity greater than 95%, a controlled particle size distribution between 15 and 53 μm, and a purity of at least 99.5%. This high-quality titanium powder, using selective laser melting (SLM), can be melted layer by layer into extremely dense implants, avoiding the material loss associated with traditional forging processes while accurately replicating the biomimetic structure of bone. For example, artificial joints commonly used in orthopedic surgery can be customized using titanium powder 3D printing based on the patient's skeletal CT data. They can even create porous surfaces that mimic the structure of trabecular bone, enabling "bio-integration" of the implant with the human skeleton and significantly reducing the risk of postoperative loosening.

The advantages of titanium powder 3D printing are equally significant in the dental field. Dental implants require extremely high precision, making it difficult to achieve both miniaturization and high strength using traditional manufacturing processes. However, titanium powder's excellent fluidity allows for the formation of fine details during the printing process, creating implant abutments that conform to the contours of the gums. More importantly, titanium powder-printed implants are immune to immune rejection and can last for decades, making them a mainstream choice for dental implants. With the decreasing cost of titanium powder production and the maturation of printing technology, these customized medical implants are becoming increasingly common, allowing more patients to benefit from advances in precision medicine.