title: Inorganic particle analysis of dental impression elastomers.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine quantitatively and qualitatively the inorganic particle fraction of commercially available dental elastomers. The inorganic volumetric fraction of two addition silicones (Reprosil Putty/Fluid and Flexitime Easy Putty/Fluid), three condensation silicones (Clonage Putty/Fluid, Optosil Confort/Xantopren VL and Silon APS Putty/Fluid), one polyether (Impregum Soft Light Body) and one polysulfide (Permlastic Light Body) was accessed by weighing a previously determined mass of each material in water before and after burning samples at 600 ºC, during 3 h. Unsettled material samples were soaked in acetone and chloroform for removal of the organic portion. The remaining filler particles were sputter-coated with gold evaluation of their morphology and size, under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Flexitime Easy Putty was the material with the highest results for volumetric particle fraction, while Impregum Soft had the lowest values. Silon 2 APS Fluid presented the lowest mean filler size values, while Clonage Putty had the highest values. SEM micrographs of the inorganic particles showed several morphologies - lathe-cut, spherical, spherical-like, sticks, and sticks mixed to lathe-cut powder. The results of this study revealed differences in particle characteristics among the elastometic materials that could lead to different results when testing mechanical properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hugo Lemes
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Carlo
authors.forename: Rodrigo Borges
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Carlos José
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Américo Bortolazzo
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Correr
authors.forename: Lourenço
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Correr-Sobrinho
authors.forename: Mário Alexandre Coelho
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sinhoreti
mesh_terms: D003760:Dental Impression Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010316:Particle Size; D011145:Polyvinyls; D012117:Resins, Synthetic / Q000737:chemistry; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D003760:Dental Impression Materials; D020724:Elastomers; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D011145:Polyvinyls; D012117:Resins, Synthetic; D012833:Siloxanes; D013440:Sulfides; C009878:epimine plastics; C034183:vinyl polysiloxane; C032915:polysulfide