Effect of heat treatment time on properties of mica-based glass-ceramics for restorative dental materials

Abstract

© 2016 Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland. The objective of this research is to focus improving the properties of machinable micabased glass-ceramics in order for restorative dental materials. The glass-ceramics derived from the SiO2-Al2O3-MgO-MgF2-SrCO3-CaCO3-CaF2-P2O5system were produced by a two-stage heat treatment. It was elucidated that the optimum nucleation and the crystallization temperatures were at 643°C and 892°C. The various heat treatment times in the first stage were applied as 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively, on the optimum nucleation temperature to produce mica-based glassceramics. XRD results showed that specimens of variety of nucleation time had similar crystalline structures such as calcium-mica, fluorapatite, stishovite, anorthite, strontiumapatite and forsterite phases. The microstructures of glass-ceramics were observed by SEM basically as interlocked plate-like and needle-like microstructures of mica and fluorapatite, respectively, in all specimens. Furthermore, different heat treatment times influenced on the revealed crystal size of the glassceramics; the longer heat treatment, the smaller crystals. The resultant glass-ceramics gave the results of biaxial flexural strength (178-224 MPa) and Vickers hardness (295-393 HV) increasing with the formation of the interconnected mica phases which contributed to improve the machinability. The values of the properties were comparable to those of human enamel and suitable for some restorative dental applications.