Kinetic study of the photopolymerization of a bisphenol-A-bis(glycidylmethacrylate)/triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate system in hydroxyapatite-filled composites

Photocurable composites based on hydroxyapatite and quartz as fillers and a monomeric mixture of bisphenol-A–bis(glycidylmethacrylate)/triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (40/60 wt%) as a matrix were prepared. Both fillers were also treated with 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate, and the effectiveness of the silane treatment was verified by FTIR spectroscopy. The kinetic study of the photopolymerization of the different composites was carried out at maximum filler content, and at variable and constant filler contents. The differences found in the kinetic behaviour of the composites are explained using the three-layer model for particulate composites (TLMPC) and the optical phenomenon that takes place by direct interaction of the irradiation light with the filler particles.