Viscoelasticity of Dental Tissue Conditioners during the Sol-gel Transition

Formation of tissue conditioners is a process of polymer chain entanglements. This study evaluated the influence of composition and structure on dynamic viscoelasticity of concentrated polymer solutions based on poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) used as tissue conditioners through the sol-gel transition. The hypothesis was that the ethanol content is the most influential factor in determining gelation speed. Rheological parameters were determined with the use of a controlled-stress rheometer. Analysis of variance by orthogonal array L(16)(4(5)) indicated that the strong polar bonding of ethanol (contribution ratio rho = 53.8%; confirming the hypothesis) and molecular weight of polymer powders (rho = 26.7%) had a greater influence on the gelation times of PEMA-based systems than did the molar volume of plasticizers (rho = 9.0%) and concentration of polymers (i.e., powder/liquid ratio) (rho = 4.5%). The results suggest that the gelation of tissue conditioners based on PEMA can be controlled over a wide range by varying the polymer molecular weight, and especially ethanol content.