Titanium Dioxide/Polysiloxane Composites: Preparation, Characterization and Study of Their Color Stability Using Thermochromic Pigments

Abstract

In order to improve thermomechanical, antibacterial and temperature-controlled color-response performance of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in maxillofacial prostheses, the incorporation of titania (TiO2) nanoparticles and thermochromic pigments (TCP) into PDMS was examined. The thermal transitions of TiO2/PDMS nanocomposites, investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), remain almost unaffected, while an increase of the crystallinity of PDMS was recorded in specimens with higher titania concentrations. The incorporation of titania improves the thermal stability, as it was revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), as well as the tensile properties of the reinforced elastomer. Nanocomposites with 10 wt% titania presented antibacterial activity against Escherichia Coli, leading to 72% reduction of the bacterial colony after 3 h of exposure. Specimens colored with red TCP (0.2 and 0.6 wt%) showed significant color change at a lower temperature (−20 °C) in comparison with that at an ambient temperature, especially at lower TCP concentration (0.2 wt%). Accelerating aging experiments, consisting of repeated cycles of combined exposure to UV-radiation and damp heating, of PDMS colored with TCP showed poor color stability of the specimens, from the first hours of exposure. The addition of titania to polysiloxane specimens works as an opacifier providing a positive effect on the color stability of the examined thermochromic pigment.