Amorphous Metal Salt Accelerates Portland Cement Setting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental filling materials, particularly mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), have a long setting time and poor handling properties, making them prone to washaway by tissue fluid or blood during endodontic procedures, and they also present challenges with unnatural tooth color and microleakage.
Innovation Solution
An amorphous divalent metal salt, such as calcium lactate gluconate, is used to accelerate the hydration reaction of Portland cement, reducing the setting time and improving handling properties, while bismuth subcarbonate is employed to address the color issue, providing a more natural appearance and enhanced radiopacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional dental filling materials like MTA are used, then good sealing property and biocompatibility are achieved, but setting time is too long (3-4 hours) and handling property is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the dental filling material by incorporating Portland cement as the main component instead of traditional MTA composition, and by adding specific accelerators (calcium chloride, calcium nitrate, calcium formate, or calcium carbonate) to modify the hydration reaction kinetics, thereby reducing setting time from 3-4 hours to under 30 minutes while maintaining sealing properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining Portland cement with specific accelerators and radiopaque substances (barium sulfate, bismuth oxide, or zirconium dioxide), forming a new composite dental filling material that integrates multiple functions: rapid setting, good sealing, biocompatibility, and radiopacity
2Loss of time
If Portland cement is used as main component, then setting time can be reduced, but handling property and aggregation remain poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the particle size parameter of Portland cement to 3-5 micrometers through fine grinding, and adjusts the water-to-powder ratio to 0.4-0.6, thereby improving the flowability and handling properties while maintaining rapid setting characteristics
3Loss of time
If traditional accelerators like CaCl2 are used, then setting time is reduced, but particle size is too large (250-1250 μm) causing poor aggregation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the particle size parameter of the accelerator from conventional large particles (250-1250 μm) to fine particles (3-5 micrometers) matching the Portland cement particle size, thereby improving aggregation and homogeneity while maintaining the accelerating effect on setting time
4Reliability
If bismuth oxide is used for radiopacity, then radiographic visibility is improved, but tooth color becomes unnatural
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using barium sulfate in the bulk material for radiopacity while using bismuth subcarbonate only as a surface coating layer, so that the bulk material maintains good radiographic visibility while the surface layer provides natural tooth color appearance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bismuth subcarbonate as an intermediary substance that serves dual functions: it provides radiopacity similar to bismuth oxide but with better color appearance, and acts as a surface coating to improve aesthetics while allowing the underlying barium sulfate to maintain radiographic visibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The amorphous divalent metal salt significantly shortens the setting time of Portland cement to 10-15 minutes, enhances handling properties, and improves the radiopacity and whiteness of dental materials, ensuring better clinical performance and aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
When Portland cement powder is mixed with water, hydration reaction starts and cement hardens. The major chemical equation is represented as follows. 2(CaO)3.SiO2+6H2O→(CaO)3.(SiO2)2.3H2O+3Ca(OH)2
Implementation Method 2
The amorphous metal salt consisting of a divalent metal ion and two independent and different organic and/or inorganic acid anions has high solubility by way of disturbing the regularity of the atomic arrangement
Implementation Method 3
at the end of the hydration of the Portland cements, the amorphous metal salt can separate out to enhance the viscosity
Data Source
AI summary
A novel amorphous divalent metal ion salt for enhancing the manageability of a Portland cement and its application in dental field are disclosed. Typical formula (I), (II), or (III) of this amorphous metal ion salt are shown as following:M2+Ax-B2-x-(I)M2+Ay2-C(4-y)42-(II)M2+Az3-D(6-z)93-(III)wherein, M2+, A−, B−, C−2, D−3, x, y, and z are defined the same as the specification. A novel tooth filling material comprises: a Portland cement, a bone substitute substance, and an amorphous divalent metal ion salt with formula of (I), (II), or (III). In addition, a novel root canal filling material comprises: a Portland cement, a radiopaque substance, and an amorphous divalent metal ion salt with formula of (I), (II), or (III). This amorphous divalent metal ion salt in the filling material of the present invention can improve the sticking together and reduce the setting time, thus offering more convenient in dental applications.