Effects of different blasting materials on charge generation and decay on titanium surface after sandblasting.
It has been reported that sandblasting titanium with alumina (Al2O3) powder could generate a negative electric charge on titanium surface. This has been proven to promote osteoblast activities and possibly osseointegration. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of different blasting materials, in terms of the grit sizes and electro-negativity, on the generation of a negative charge on the titanium surface. The aim was also to make use of these results to deduct the underlying mechanism of charge generation by sandblasting. Together 60 c.p. 2 titanium plates were machine-cut and polished for sandblasting, and divided into 6 groups with 10 plates in each. Every plate in the study groups was sandblasted with one of the following 6 powder materials: 110µm Al2O3 grits, 50µm Al2O3 grits, 150-300µm glass beads, 45-75µm glass beads, 250µm Al powder and 44µm Al powder. The static voltage on the surface of every titanium plate was measured immediately after sandblasting. The static voltages of the titanium plates were recorded and processed using statistical analysis. The results suggested that only sandblasting with 45-75µm glass beads generated a positive charge on titanium, while using all other blasting materials lead to a negative charge. Furthermore, blasting grits of the same powder material but of different sizes might lead to different amount and polarity of the charges. This triboelectric effect is likely to be the main mechanism for charge generation through sandblasting.
Dental Materials Science, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, PR China.
Cecilia Yan
CY
Guo
Dental Materials Science, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, PR China.
Alexander Tin
AT
Hong Tang
Dental Materials Science, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, PR China.
James Kit
JK
Hon Tsoi
Dental Materials Science, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, PR China. Electronic address: jpmat@hku.hk.
Jukka Pekka
JP
Matinlinna
D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D015921:Dental Implants; D004548:Elasticity; D004560:Electricity; D008422:Materials Testing; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium
D015921:Dental Implants; D014025:Titanium; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
Alumina powder; Aluminum powder; Dental implants; Electric charge; Glass beads; Sandblasting; Titanium