Glass composition influence on glass polyalkenoate cement mechanical properties

Abstract

The role of glass composition on the mechanical properties of glass polyalkenoate cements formed from ion leachable glasses and poly(acrylic acid) was investigated. The influence of phosphate, fluoride and silicon:aluminium ratio of the glass composition on the compressive strength, σ c, fracture toughness, K IC, and flexural strength, σ f, of the cement were determined. Increasing the phosphate level by 0.8 mol in the glass composition reduced the compressive strength of the cement from 101 MPa to 12 MPa. The silicon:aluminium ratio, which has been considered a governing parameter in determining the glass degradability and cements mechanical properties, showed no appreciable effect in the presence of phosphate. Varying this ratio between 0.68 and 1.2 did not show any correlation with the cement's mechanical properties. An increase in the fluoride content of the glass by 0.8 mol resulted in a rise in the compressive strength from 43.5 MPa to 68.5 MPa.