Dental Composites of Acrylic Resin and Nanoclay Developed by Additive Manufacturing

This study aims to assess the dynamic mechanical characteristics of three nanocomposites created through the incorporation of 0.25% montmorillonite (MMT) clay nanofillers into a polymethylmethacyrlate-based liquid acrylic resin employed in additive manufacturing processes (three-dimensional printing and rapid prototyping) for the fabrication of dental occlusal devices. The samples were subjected to Shore D hardness testing, abrasion resistance evaluation, thermomechanical analysis (TMA), dynamic mechanical behavior assessment (DMA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), compressive strength testing, and surface tension assessment based on contact angle analysis. The results demonstrated effective dispersion of clay nanosheets within the resin matrix. Small increases in hardness and abrasion resistance were observed. TMA results revealed reduced thermal expansion with increasing temperature, indicating that the nanocomposite was more stable than pure acrylic resin. Remarkable results were observed in the DMA, tan delta, and TGA tests compared to the performance of the pure resin, characterized by elevated storage and loss moduli as well as high glass transition temperatures. Compressive strength of the nanocomposites was lower for the nanocomposites compared to RES. The findings affirm that the nanocomposites formulated with 0.25% MMT are an excellent option for the digital manufacturing of dental occlusal plates through 3D printing, particularly using UV photosensitive resins.