Background and purpose: In this study, ink composition and extrusion-based 3D printing parameters were optimized for the fabrication of polycaprolactone–nano bioactive glass (PCL-BG) and polycaprolactone–nano bioactive glass–Dorema ammoniacum (PCL-BG-DA) composite scaffolds.

Materials and methods: PCL was dissolved in chloroform, and sol–gel derived 45S5 nano bioactive glass was incorporated into the solution. For DA-containing samples, Dorema ammoniacum powder was also added to the ink. The effects of nano bioactive glass content, polycaprolactone-to-solvent ratio, printing speed, and extrusion multiplier were investigated using the Taguchi method. The fabricated scaffolds were evaluated in terms of printability, microstructure and compressive properties.

Results: The findings indicate that the percentage of nano bioactive glass in the ink composition is the most significant factor affecting printability, compared to print speed and extrusion multiplier. A combination of 3:1 of polymer phase to powder, polymer dissolution of 1:2, retraction of 1.65, extrusion multiplier of 0.0120, and print speed of 5 creates optimal conditions for scaffold printing with acceptable quality which demonstrated high reproducibility and flexibility in both shape and size. SEM images confirmed a porous and interconnected structure. The incorporation of DA reduced the compressive modulus from 53.737 to 38.527 MPa.

Conclusion: Simultaneous optimization of ink composition and printing parameters enabled the successful fabrication of PCL-BG and PCL-BG-DA scaffolds. nano bioactive glass content was the primary factor governing printability, while the addition of DA maintained adequate printability while reducing scaffold stiffness.