Dental Composite With Random Inorganic Fibres for Viscosity Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental composite materials struggle to balance suitable viscosity for easy handling and manipulation with high mechanical properties, particularly in dental applications where the material is surrounded by dentin and enamel.
Innovation Solution
A dental material comprising a polymer resin, particulate fillers, and randomly oriented inorganic fibres with specific dimensions and ratios, allowing for a high filler content while maintaining good handling and manipulation properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the filler content is increased to improve mechanical properties, then the strength is improved, but the viscosity increases making handling and manipulation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the diameter (4-8 μm) and aspect ratio (20-80) of inorganic fibres, and adjusting their content (20-35 wt-%) relative to particulate fillers. These parameter optimizations allow the material to achieve high mechanical strength while maintaining suitable viscosity for clinical handling, resolving the contradiction between strength improvement and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite material system combining polymer resin, particulate fillers, and randomly oriented inorganic fibres. This composite structure allows the material to simultaneously achieve high mechanical properties from the fibre-reinforcement and adequate flowability from the polymer matrix, resolving the contradiction between strength and handling properties.
2Strength
If the filler content is increased to achieve good mechanical properties, then the strength is improved, but the material becomes too viscous to flow easily into dental cavities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the physical parameters of inorganic fibres (diameter 4-8 μm, aspect ratio 20-80) and their concentration (20-35 wt-% of total filler content) to achieve a balance where high filler content provides mechanical strength while the specific fibre characteristics prevent excessive viscosity increase, enabling the material to flow easily into dental cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces local quality by specifying that inorganic fibres should be randomly oriented within the composite material. This random orientation distributes the fibres uniformly throughout the polymer matrix, preventing localized aggregation that would increase viscosity, while still providing comprehensive mechanical reinforcement throughout the material.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dental material comprising a polymer resin, particulate fillers and randomly oriented inorganic fibres, wherein an average largest dimension of the particulate fillers is 0.3-1.2 μm, the inorganic fibres have a diameter of 4-8 micrometre and an aspect ratio of 20-80 based on an average length of the inorganic fibres and the dental material is void of other fibres. Additionally, the total amount of particulate fillers and inorganic fibres is 70-85 wt-% of the total weight of the material, and the amount of inorganic fibres is 20-35 wt-% of the total amount of particulate fillers and inorganic fibres.