Dental composites with strength after aging improved by using anodic nanoporous fillers: experimental results, modeling, and simulations

We fabricated resin composites based on a standard matrix system used for dental restorations incorporating a novel concept microsized filler with passing-through nanopores. The fillers were obtained from anodic porous alumina (APA), after separation from the supporting aluminum substrate and ball milling. Bending tests were carried out on as-cured and artificially aged composites, to determine the material elastic modulus and its strength for the first time. A two-scale modeling was developed; at micro scale, a finite element (FE) model of the representative volume element (RVE) including single APA and surrounding polymer was constructed. The influence of embedded APA length and APA-matrix interaction on the strength was investigated. Then, FE model of the macro-scale RVE containing numerous APA with different orientations based on stochastic modeling was constructed. The output of micro-scale model was used as the input of macro-scale model. The results of simulations allowed to understand better the behavior of the novel composite and interpret the material response deviations from those of common three-phases composites, and to validate the experimental results. The strength of the experimental composite is lower than those of commercial composites used for the same application when as-cured, but is higher after aging.

Automated summary

In this study, resin composites were fabricated using a standard matrix system for dental restorations, incorporating microsized fillers with nanopores. The mechanical properties of the composites were investigated through bending tests and modeling, and compared with commercial composites.