Exploring the Influence of SS 316L Nanoparticle Integration on the Flexural Strength of PMMA

Upender Punia; Ramesh Kumar Garg

Abstract

In the present study, a nano composite PMMA was prepared with the help of hot plate magnetic stirring and probe sonication at different loading conditions of nano sized reinforcement material SS 316L. In order to study the effect of independent factors (the amount of reinforcement material, stirring speed, and sonication time) on response variable (flexural strength), the central composite experimental design of response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized. The analysis of the RSM results indicated that the experimental data were most accurately represented by a quadratic polynomial model. The optimum preparation conditions for PMMA nano-composite to achieve the best specific wear rate and flexural strength were found to be as follows: the addition of 1.14% (w/w) of reinforcement material SS 316L, a stirring speed of 1307 rpm, and a sonication time of 24.26 minutes. At the optimized process parameters, the experimental values for compression strength were measured at 92.31MPa which were found to closely align with the predicted values confirming the reliability and accuracy of the developed RSM model. The results of this study hold great significance in the fabrication process of long-term provisional dental crowns and bridges.

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