Dental Ceramic Blank with Organic Infiltration for Milling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Dental ceramic blanks used in CAD/CAM processes for prosthetic dental restorations face challenges with material properties such as shrinkage during sintering, breaking strength, and modulus of elasticity, which affect the automated production of individual prosthetic parts and require additional supporting structures to prevent distortion.
Innovation Solution
A dental ceramic blank with an open-pored ceramic framework infiltrated with 5 to 50% by weight of an organic compound, such as polymers or wax, which improves material properties by enhancing breaking strength and modulus of elasticity, allowing for reduced material waste and elimination of supporting structures during milling and sintering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional unfilled ceramic blanks are used in CAD/CAM processes, then the blank structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but the breaking strength and modulus of elasticity are insufficient, requiring additional supporting structures during milling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining ceramic particles with an organic binding matrix to create a filled ceramic blank. This composite structure provides both the mechanical strength needed for CAD/CAM milling and the structural integrity to eliminate supporting webs, resolving the contradiction between strength requirements and structural simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional unfilled ceramic blanks are used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but shrinkage during sintering causes distortion requiring supporting structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the blank by incorporating organic fillers and binding agents that modify the sintering behavior. This composition adjustment controls shrinkage and maintains dimensional stability during sintering, eliminating the need for supporting structures while keeping the manufacturing process relatively simple.
3Strength
If organic compounds are infiltrated into the ceramic framework to improve mechanical properties, then breaking strength and modulus of elasticity increase, but the blank composition becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a porous ceramic framework structure that is infiltrated with organic compounds. The porous structure allows easy infiltration of the binding matrix, and the organic compounds fill the voids to provide mechanical reinforcement. This approach improves strength and elasticity while maintaining a relatively straightforward composition and processing route.
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 infiltration of organic compounds into the ceramic framework significantly improves the mechanical properties of the blanks, enabling more efficient automated milling and sintering processes with reduced material waste and distortion, while maintaining high strength and elasticity.
Implementation Method 1
The infiltration of the blank, such as the open-pore ceramic framework, takes place in a bath of at least one liquid or organic compound that can be separated from the gas phase until the open-pore ceramic framework is completely saturated.
Implementation Method 2
Solidification occurs, for example, by polymerizing a liquid infiltrated monomer, a monomer mixture or by cooling a molten wax.
Implementation Method 3
After the blank has been processed, such as milling, the organic compound is burned out of the framework, i.e. the compound is pyrolyzed so that the open-pored ceramic framework is exposed again.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a dental ceramic blank, in particular a filled milling blank, comprising at least one organic compound, such as a polymer polymerized in the blank, for improving the machining properties of the blank. The blank has an open-pore ceramic microstructure which has 2 to 50 wt.%, based on the total composition of the dental ceramic blank, of at least one organic compound. The invention also relates to a method for producing the blank. The milling blank according to the invention clearly exhibits improved material properties compared to unfilled purely ceramic milling blanks which have been milled into blanks for molded prosthetic parts in CAD/CAM methods.