OPTIMIZATION OF A PROPRIETARY GLASS-CERAMIC SYSTEM

THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO IMPROVE A PATENT-PENDING DENTAL PORCELAIN HAVING STRENGTH AND AESTHETIC PROPERTIES TO BE USED AS AN ALL-CERAMIC RESTORATIVE MATERIAL WHERE THE TRADITIONAL USE OF A METAL SUBSTRATE WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. THE PROCEDURE WILL INVOLVE CHARACTERIZATION AND OPTIMIZATIONOF THE STRUCTURE OF THE GLASS-CERAMIC (WHERE LEUCITE IS THE CRYSTALLINE PHASE) THROUGH CONTROLLED NUCLEATION AND GROWTH DURING FRITTING. FIVE THERMAL TREATMENTS WILL BE PERFORMED AS PER A CONFOUNDING FACTORIAL DESIGN. THE PROPERTIES TO BE MEASURED ARE MODULUS OF RUPTURE, COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, THERMAL EXPANSION, AND HARDNESS. X-RAYS AND IMAGE ANALYSIS WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE VOLUME FRACTION AND PARTICLE SIZE OF THE LEUCITE PHASE. A TWO-WAY ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE AND PAIRWISE MULTIPLE COMPARISONS WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN VOLUME FRACTION AND PARTICLE SIZES OF THE LEUCITE PHASE AS A FUNCTION OF THE THERMAL TREATMENTS. A CORRELATION COEFFICIENT MATRIX AND APPROPRIATE REGRESSION MODELS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO DETERMINE THE STATISTICAL ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PARAMETERS AND/OR PROPERTIES. BASED ON THE DATA, AN OPTIMIZED PROCESSING TECHNIQUE WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.