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Mechanical properties of resin composites with filler particles aligned by an electric field
1Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Objectives:
To explore possible enhancement of the mechanical properties of resin composites by aligning the filler particles.
Methods:
The resin for the composites consisted of urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) and 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate (HDDMA) mixed in the ratio of 90 to 10; the filler was silica-zirconia in two particle sizes, 1.7 microns (P50), which was mixed with the resin in the volume fractions of 29 and 48 vol%, and 0.7 micron (Z100), which was mixed with the resin in the volume fractions of 37 and 57 vol%. Particle alignment was obtained by applying a 60 Hz AC electric field across the composite before the resin was photopolymerized. The stress-strain behavior and the elastic modulus of the hardened composite were measured along the alignment axis in compression.
Results:
The elastic moduli of the aligned composites increased by as much as 20%, and the maximum stress sustainable in compression before significant deformation occurred was elevated. An electric field strength of the order of 1 kV mm-1 was required to obtain sufficient alignment.
Significance:
Besides conferring a structure to resin composites that is more like that of the natural tooth, particle alignment increased some of the mechanical properties and may have improved durability.
