Photothermal determination of thermal diffusivity and polymerization depth profiles of polymerized dental resins

Abstract

The degree and depth of curing due to photopolymerization in a commercial dental resin have been studied using photothermal radiometry. The sample consisted of a thick layer of resin on which a thin metallic gold layer was deposited, thus guaranteeing full opacity. Purely thermal-wave inverse problem techniques without the interference of optical profiles were used. Thermal depth profiles were obtained by heating the gold coating with a modulated laser beam and by performing a frequency scan. Prior to each frequency scan, photopolymerization was induced using a high power blue light emitted diode (LED). Due to the highly light dispersive nature of dental resins, the polymerization process depends strongly on optical absorption of the blue light, thereby inducing a depth dependent thermal diffusivity profile in the sample. A robust depth profilometric method for reconstructing the thermal diffusivity depth dependence on degree and depth of polymerization has been developed. The thermal diffusivity depth profile was linked to the polymerization kinetics.