Objective
In the last years, a public debate has arisen on the health hazard of amalgam as a tooth filling. In turn, the demand for substitutes has increased, and new dental composites are being developed. However, during the polymerisation process, these materials are shrinking, which may lead to crack growth. The consequence is a bad adhesion to the tooth, so that the filling cannot accomplish its purpose. Up to now, the suitability of new filling materials has to be examined in expensive and extensive clinical tests. The aim of this research project is to develop procedures to evaluate the suitability at an earlier stage, so that the immense expenses for clinical tests can be decreased greatly. For this purpose, the material behaviour during the polymerisation process has to be modelled, so that simulative studies can be performed. Simultaneously, sophisticated experimental investigations have to be performed, in order to determine the characteristic material parameters correctly. In this project improved glass polyalkenoate cements for the application in stress bearing areas will be developed. The specific RTD goals are the following: - investigation of the particle size and distribution (filler loading) of the glass volume fraction of glass polyalkenoate cements, with the aid of computer modelling techniques and laboratory research, for a better knowledge of the optimal composition of the material, - optimisation of the composition of the liquid, by determining the optimal ratio between acidbase reaction and resin- addition reaction, in order to design an improved polymer matrix, - modelling and characterisation of the polymerisation process to achieve a better understanding of the phenomena, - a proper characterisation of the material behaviour based on a suitable modelling, - and determination of the characteristic mechanical parameters, so that the materials developed can be classified and the visco-elastic properties can be optimised.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
SN5 9HT Swindon
United Kingdom