Effects of Thermal Crosslinking on the Properties and Release Profiles of Three-Dimensional (3D)-Printed Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) Tablets

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of thermal crosslinking on the properties of 3D-printed poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) tablets loaded with fluorescein sodium (NaFl). The PVA filaments were selected for the fabrication of 3D-printed tablets. Different infill densities (80% and 100%) of the tablets were applied. The tablets were crosslinked at different temperatures and times. The physiochemical properties of the tablets and the release profiles of fluorescein from the 3D-tablets were investigated. The 3D-printed PVA tablets were successfully produced with favorable physical and mechanical properties. A smooth surface with a mesh pattern was obtained with a yellow color of NaFl. The 100% infilled tablets provided slightly greater loading efficiency and loading capacity in comparison with the 80% infilled tablets. The release of NaFl increased with an increase in crosslinking time and temperature. However, crosslinking at 140 °C for 4 h (80% CFT4 and 100%CFT4) showed similar release characteristic compared to the non-crosslink one. The release kinetics of 3D-printed tablets were observed to be Quasi-Fickian diffusion mechanism.