ABSTRACT
AIM: To find with a laboratory study in vitro the concentrations of released potassium (K+) and chloride (Cl-) ions extracted from polycarboxylate cement containing 5% KCl. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Model calibrated blocks of polycarboxylate cement containing 5% KCl were prepared for the study. Every block contained 6.40 mg potassium ions and 5.80 mg chloride ions. The extraction of the ions was performed in stationary conditions with extragent Aqua redestillata at different time periods: 20 minutes from the mixing of the cement, 24 h, 7 days/168 h/, 14 days/336 h/, 30 days/720 h/ and 90 days/2160 h/ at temperature 36 +/- 0.5 degrees C and pH--7. The concentrations of the released K- and Cl- ions in the extract (in mg/10 cm3), as well as their degree of extraction (in percentage) were measured using emission flame photometry and spectrophotometry. The data are analyzed statistically using descriptive statistics, statistical significance being defined at p<0.05. RESULTS: The concentrations of released potassium and chloride ions increased with time and reached their maximum on the 14th day (336 h). The differences with their respective baseline values are statistically significant (P<0.001). The degree of extraction of the active ions is highest on the 14th day (336 h) - (93.12% for the K-ions and 93.10% for the CL-ions). CONCLUSION: The active supplement of 5% KCL in the polycarboxylate cement increases the rate of extraction of the ions, as the concentrations of the released K- and Cl-ions increase with time and reach maximum values on the 14th day (336 h).
