Investigation on the Enhanced Performance of Acrylate Resin Reinforced with SiO2 Nanoparticles for Dental 3D Printing

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the use of photochemical three-dimensional printers in the production of finely detailed dental models. Employing this additive manufacturing method allows for the elimination of molds, instead utilizing the polymerization of photo-crosslinkable resins under UV light. Our research focused on enhancing the mechanical properties and degree of conversion of the resins used in these models, specifically acrylate-based resins which are currently prevalent in the market. To do this, both modified and unmodified SiO2 nanoparticles were incorporated as a reinforcement material. We synthesized spherical nanoparticles with a particle size of approximately 40–50 nm using the sol-gel method and subsequently silanized them. These nanoparticles were then mixed with the acrylate-based resin to prepare composite resins. Throughout each stage of production, we utilized a range of characterization techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), tensile tests, and three-point bending tests. Our findings revealed that the composite resin sample, denoted as AC1.5SS, demonstrated significant improvements in mechanical properties and the degree of conversion. Specifically, we observed an 18.6% increase in the degree of conversion, a 51.3% enhancement in yield strength, a 2.3% rise in flexural strength, and a 26.3% improvement in the modulus of elasticity. Therefore, our results substantiate the feasibility of utilizing acrylate-based resin reinforced with nanoparticles for dental applications. This is particularly significant since factors such as flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, and degree of conversion are crucial parameters in dental applications.