Surface hardness and pressing accuracy of reused IPS empress 2 / 대한치과보철학회지

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: IPS Empress2 system was developed and used in prosthodontic treatment, but the cost of ingot is expensive for wide application. PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the possibility on recycling of IPS Empress 2 ceramic for wide application of IPS Empress 2 ceramic in prosthodontic treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 1st, 2nd and 3rd pressed disc-shaped(10x1.5mm) IPS Empress 2 specimens were made with IPS Empress ingot(200, Ivoclar, Liechtenstein) and pressing furnace(IPS Empress EP 500, Ivoclar, Liechtenstein). Vicker's surface hardness and fracture toughness, acid resistance, and pressing accuracy of IPS Empress 2 ceramic were measured and analyzed. Surface hardness was measured by microhardness tester(MTX 70, Matsuzawa, Japan). before and after surface treatment with 0.5% hydrofluoric acid and carbonic acid(Coca cola) for evaluation of acid resistance. RESULTS: The surface hardness of 1st pressed specimen was the higher(5.11 GPa) than those of 2nd pressed( 4.89 GPa) and 3rd pressed specimen(4.86 GPa). and the fracture toughness of 1st pressed (1.58 MPam1/2)and 2nd pressed specimen(1.51 MPam1/2) were higher than that of 3rd pressed specimen(1.39 MPam1/2). The changes of surface hardness of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pressed specimens after treatment with fluoric acid were 0.17, 0.06, 0.05(GPa) respectively, and those of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pressed specimens after treatment with carbonic acid were 0.07, 0.00, 0.05(MPa) respectively. The pressing accuracy of 1st, 2nd and 3rd specimen were 77.22%, 85.681%, and 75.05%. The pressing accuracy of 2nd pressed specimen was higher than that of the 3rd specimen. CONCLUSION: The changes of physical properties according to recycling of IPS Empress 2 from this study were insignificant. Therefore the possibility of recycling of IPS Empress 2 can be suggested from the results.

Flexure strength and color change of reused IPS Empress 2 / 대한치과보철학회지

Development of new ceramic and esthetic need of patient increased the use of ceramic restorations. The purpose of this study was to confirm the possibility of recycling for IPS Empress2 which has a lot of advantages in esthetics. 1st, 2nd and 3rd pressed disc-shaped(10x1.5mm) IPS Empress 2 specimens were made with IPS Empress ingot(shade 200, Ivoclar, Liechtenstein) and pressing furnace(IPS Empress EP 500, Ivoclar, Liechtenstein). Flexure strength was measured with universal testing machine(Zwick 145641, Zwick, Germany), and color change and staining resistance of specimens were evaluated with colorimeter (Model TC-6FX, Tokyo Denshoku Co., Japan). The followings were drawn from this study : 1. Flexure strength of the 1st, the 2nd, and the 3rd pressed specimens showed 236.78 MPa, 247.16MPa, and 220.72MPa, respectively. Flexure strength of the 2nd pressed specimens was higher than others, but there's no statistical difference between them. 2. The color difference between the 1st and the 2nd pressed specimens was 3.25, and that between the 1st and the 3rd pressed specimens was 3.63(P<0.05). 3. The color change after staining of the 1st, the 2nd, and the 3rd pressed specimens were 1.43, 2.64, and 1.45, respectively. In this study, reused IPS Empress 2 specimens showed insignificant change of flexure strength and stain resistance, but they showed some color change according to reuse. From this results, the limited possibility of reuse for IPS Empress 2 could be considered.

Mechanical Properties Of Reused Lithium Disilicate Glass-Ceramic Of Ips Empress 2 System / 대한치과보철학회지

This investigation was designed to estimate the biaxial flexure strength and fracture toughness of lithium disilicate glass-ceramics of IPS Empress 2 system pressed with as-received ingots and their sprue buttons. Two groups of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramics were prepared as follows: group 1 is ingot-pressed group; group 2 is sprue button-pressed group. A ball-on-three-ball test was used to determine biaxial flexure strength (BFS) of disks in wet environment. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) analysis was conducted to observe the microstructure of the ceramics. Unpaired t-test showed that there were no differences in the mean biaxial flexure strength (BFS) and KIC values between group 1 and 2 (p>0.05). Two groups showed similar values in the KIC and the strength at 5% failure probability. The SEM micrographs of the IPS Empress 2 glass-ceramic showed a closely packed, multi-directionally interlocking pattern of numerous lithium disilicate crystals protruding from the glass matrix. The lithium orthophosphate crystals could not be observed on the fracture surface etched. There was no a marked difference of the microstructure between group 1 and 2. Although there were no tests including color stability, casting accuracy, etc., the results of this study implied that we could reuse the sprue button of the pressed lithium disilicate glass-ceramic of IPS Empress 2 system.

FLEXURE STRENGTH AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF IPS EMPRESS 2 GLASS-CERAMIC ON HEAT PRESSING AND HEAT TREATMENTS / 대한치과보철학회지

This investigation was designed to determine whether heat-pressing and/or simulated heat treatments affected the flexure strength and the microstructure of the lithium disilicate glassceramic in the IPS Empress 2 system. Four groups of the specimens were prepared as follows group 1 - as-received material ; group 2 - heat-pressed material ; group 3 - heat pressed and simulated initial heat-treated material ; group 4 - heat-pressed and the simulated heat-treated material with full firings for a final restoration. The three-point bending test and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was conducted for the purpose of this study. The flexure strength of group. 2 was significantly higher than that of group 1. However, there were no significant differences in strength among group 2, 3, and 4, and between group 1 and 4. The SEM micrographs of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic showed the closely packed, multi-directionally interlocking microstructure of numerous lithium disilicate crystals protruding from the glass matrix. The crystals of the heat-pressed materials (group 2, 3, and.4) were a little denser and about two times bigger than those of the as-received material (group 1). This change of microstructure is more obviously exhibited particularly between group 1 and 2. However, there was no a marked difference among group 2, 3, and 4 after the heat pressing procedure. Although there were significant increase of the strength and some changes of the microstructure after the heat-pressing operation, the conr bination of the heat-pressing and the simulated subsequent heat treatments did not produce the increase of strength of IPS Empress 2 glass-ceramic.