Filling the gaps

Dr Andrew Curtis, Dr Will Palm, and Dr Adrian Shortall share their views on how composites are replacing traditional metals and plastics in many fields and offering improved characteristics through nanochemistry advances and modern testing. The continuing development of new composite materials means that new composite materials means modern composites is equivalent to or better than the amalgam used in dentistry applications. Advanced composites improve physical and mechanical properties, such as polish retention and resistance to failure. One specific composite development focused on a resin reinforced with a nanocluster phase. The nanoclusters are agglomerations of zirconium dioxide and silicon dioxide particles that have been calcined and silanated to create a micron sized particle. Testing has that the nanoclusters undergo up to four failure events, while the spheroidal and irregular particles tested undergo either no failures or a single fracture, which occurred at a statistically lower strength than the nanoclusters.