Reinforcing polymer blends with natural powders for dental applications

In this day of implant and fixed prostheses, removable full dentures are still preferred by some medical experts and patients. In the experiment, two kinds of polymers were mixed with heat-cured PMMA resin: polyamide (PA) type (6) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) type K30. The weight fractions of the two polymers were 0, 2, 4, and 6%, respectively. The objective was to refine the characteristics of PMMA resin for use in prosthetic full dentures. Composite specimens were made by mixing sisal and coconut powders with polymer blend matrices at different weight fractions (2%, 4%, and 6%). The experimental part includes SEM, contact angle test, and FTIR, which were used to assess the blending and composite specimens. According to the experimental data, SEM images indicated homogeneous adhesion between the sisal and coconut powders through the blend matrices. Polymer blends and composite materials had their average contact angles reduced by adding more powders of (PA, PVP, Coconut, and Sisal) by weight. And because PVP is hydrophilic, the lower value of the average contact angle is (57.59) for the blend (PMMA-6% PVP). According to FTIR, no peak shifts were produced. This behavior pertains to the physical connection between composite materials’ components and polymer blends’ components. These findings conclude that one of the promising composite materials comprises blend matrix and natural materials reinforcement. The materials that are used in this search are an introduction to future research in the applications of dental and other applications.