Influence of Alumina Nanoparticles on the Mechanical Properties of a Bioresin Composite

Ion Ciuca,Oleg Solomon,Adrian Beznea,Camelia Ana Grigore,Valeriu Romulus Harabor,Silvia Fotea,Magda-Ecaterina Antohe,Gabi Topor,Iulian Constantin,Ramona Feier,Lucretia Anghel

doi:10.37358/mp.21.2.5496

Abstract

A significant part of the research and production activities is represented in the field of bioengineering by the biomaterials used in hard tissue restorations. They are of great interest in dental science, intending to improve technological aspects, monitoring their biological responses to the living organisms, but also to redesign economic aspects, beginning with the choice of raw materials. In the present work, light-curing composite biomaterials were made from a composite polymer matrix consisting of specific concentrations of bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate base monomer (Bis-GMA), a mixture of two co-monomers, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate and ethoxylated bisphenol A-dimethacrylate (TEGDMA/BisEMA), and two alumina nanopowder concentrations (5 wt.% and 10 wt.%). These materials were mechanically tested for flexural strength and compressive strength. The structural analysis of these materials consisted of SEM microscopy and EDX elementary mapping. In order to extract 3D projections of sample surfaces, but also to produce indicative values of their roughness, the SEM micrographs were processed with open-source software. In order to observe a clear evolution of the mentioned properties, the composite biomaterials were compared with materials formed only with the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA/BisEMA composite, and with a commercial composite resin, Filtek Supreme Ultra Universal Restorative, also. The findings showed an increase in the mechanical properties of the materials manufactured concerning the concentration of nanoparticles of aluminum. EDX analyzes confirmed the good homogeneity of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. Mechanical properties of the manufactured nanocomposite biomaterials were reported 28.8 % higher than the control biomaterial. The comparison results with the commercial resin composite are encouraging.

Highlights

Biomaterials are advanced materials, created to be used as a biocompatible interface with the human body, in the form of medical devices, implants and prosthetic systems [1], without being rejected by the human body [2,3,4,5].The dental materials used in dentistry are varied, with different compositions, indicated depending on the therapy to be followed
The idea of using resins in dental implantology is at a mature stage, with good potential in making products, such as prosthesis bases, artificial teeth, temporary prostheses, gutters, sealants, etc., due to the satisfactory properties of abrasion resistance, light polishing, minimum shrinkage [9,10] and compatibility with the tissues on which it aggregates [11]
In the case of nanocomposite resins modified by the blending of alumina nanoparticles, the presence of nodules is quite apparent, especially at higher concentrations

Summary

Introduction

Biomaterials are advanced materials, created to be used as a biocompatible interface with the human body, in the form of medical devices, implants and prosthetic systems [1], without being rejected by the human body [2,3,4,5]. The dental materials used in dentistry are varied, with different compositions, indicated depending on the therapy to be followed. Among the most notable biomaterials are synthetic, organic or inorganic, namely polymeric [6] and ceramic [7,8]. These two types can be combined to form composite biomaterials. The idea of using resins in dental implantology is at a mature stage, with good potential in making products, such as prosthesis bases, artificial teeth, temporary prostheses, gutters, sealants, etc., due to the satisfactory properties of abrasion resistance, light polishing, minimum shrinkage [9,10] and compatibility with the tissues on which it aggregates [11].

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Conclusion