RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of replacing reinforcing barium glass particles by DCPD (dicalcium phosphate dihydrate), as opposed to simply reducing glass filler content, on composite flexural properties and degree of conversion (DC). On a second set of experiments, composites with different "DCPD: glass" ratios were exposed to prolonged water immersion to verify if the presence of DCPD particles increased hydrolytic degradation. METHODS: Two series of composites were prepared: 1) composites with total inorganic content of 50 vol% and "DCPD: glass" ratios ranging from zero (glass only) to 1.0 (DCPD only), in 0.25 increments, and 2) composites containing only silanized glass (from zero to 50 vol%). Disk-shaped specimens were fractured under biaxial flexural loading after 24 h in water. Another set of specimens of composites with different "DCPD: glass" ratios was stored in water for 24 h, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days and tested in flexure. DC was determined using FTIR spectroscopy. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn test (flexural properties) or ANOVA/Tukey test (DC, alpha: 0.05). RESULTS: For glass-only composites, reducing inorganic content caused a linear decrease in strength. The presence of DCPD did not affect composite strength up until a "DCPD: glass" ratio of 0.5. On the other hand, materials with 0.75 and 1.0 DCPD showed significantly lower strength than the glass-only composite with 12.5 vol% filler and the unfilled resin, respectively (p < 0.001). Except for the 0.25 DCPD composite, the presence of DCPD did not contribute to increase flexural modulus. After water storage, composites containing DCPD showed higher percent reductions in properties than the control, but only in a few cases the effect was statistically significant (strength: 0.5 DCPD, modulus: 0.25 and 1.0 DCPD). DC was only marginally affected by DCPD fraction. SIGNIFICANCE: For composites with "DCPD: glass" of 0.25 and 0.5, reductions in strength were related to the lower glass content, and not due to the presence of DCPD. Flexural modulus was primarily defined by glass content. Overall, composites containing DCPD particles presented higher reductions in properties after water storage, but it remained within limits reported for commercial materials.
