A spectroscopic investigation into the setting and mechanical properties of titanium containing glass polyalkenoate cements.

Titanium (Ti) implants are extensively used in a number of biomedical and dental applications. This work introduces Ti into the glass phase of a zinc based glass polyalkenoate cement (GPC) and investigates changes in handling and mechanical properties considering two molecular weight polyacrylic acids (PAA), E9 and E11. Considering the handling properties, the working time (T (w)) increased from 50 s(E9), 32 s(E11) (BT 101, Ti-free) to 169 s(E9), 74 s(E11) with TW-Z (highest Ti content), respectively. The setting time (T (s)) increased from 76 s(E9), 47 s(E11) (BT 101) to 303 s(E9), 232 s(E11) with TW-Z, respectively. Ti was also found to have a significant increase on both compressive (sigma (c)) and biaxial flexural strength (sigma (f)), where sigma (c) increased from 36 MPa(E9), 56 MPa(E11) (BT 101) to 56 MPa(E9) and 70 MPa(E11) with TW-Z respectfully. sigma (f) also increased from 11 MPa(E9), 22 MPa(E11) (BT 101) to 22 MPa(E9) and 77 MPa(E11) with TW-Z, respectively. No increase in mechanical properties was evident with respect to maturation. Raman Spectroscopy was employed to investigate changes in glass structure and the setting of the cements with. This revealed increased glass network disruption with increasing TiO(2) content and matured cement setting with TW-Z as compared to the control BT 101. FT-IR was then employed to investigate any additional setting mechanism and changes with time. Spectroscopy determined that Ca(2+)/Sr(2+)PAA complexes are primarily responsible for the setting and mechanical strength with no changes occurring over time.