The Dynamic Viscoelasticity of Dental Soft Polymer Material Containing Citrate Ester-Based Plasticizers.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic viscoelasticity of dental soft polymer material containing citrate ester-based plasticizers. Three kinds of citrate ester-based plasticizer (Citroflex® C-2 TEC, Citroflex® A-2 ATEC, and Citroflex® A-4 ATBC), with the combination of 5 wt% ethyl alcohol, were used as the liquid phase. The dynamic viscoelastic properties of nine ethyl methacrylate polymers (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I) were immersed in 37 °C distilled water for 0, 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days, respectively. The dynamic viscoelastic properties were measured at 37 °C with an automatic dynamic mechanical analyzer. The shear storage modulus (G'), shear loss modulus (G″), and loss tangent (tan δ) were determined at 1 Hz. These parameters were statistically analyzed by two-way and one-way ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison test at a predetermined significance level of 0.05. A significant difference was found among the materials in terms of the dynamic viscoelasticity. The materials containing citrate ester-based plasticizer ATBC showed the most stable dynamic viscoelasticity. Considering the limitations of this study, the results suggest that the inclusion of citrate ester-based plasticizer can improve the durability of dental soft polymer materials.