[Water sorption and desorption on experimental composite resins]

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomaterials

Context:

• Composite resins are widely used in dental and industrial applications.
• Understanding water interaction is crucial for material longevity and performance.
• Both chemically-cured and light-cured composites were analyzed.

Purpose:

• To investigate the influence of filler content on water sorption/desorption.
• To determine diffusion coefficients for water sorption and desorption.
• To compare experimental results with the law of mixtures predictions.

Summary:

• Water sorption and desorption rates decreased with increased filler content in composite resins.
• Filler content influenced water sorption diffusion coefficients according to the law of mixtures.
• Water desorption diffusion coefficients showed a different trend, exceeding sorption coefficients by over two times.

Impact:

• Provides insights into the water absorption behavior of composite resins.
• Informs material selection and design for applications requiring water resistance.
• Highlights differences in water sorption versus desorption mechanisms in composites.