Preparation and properties of tristrontium aluminate as an alternative component of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) cement.

This study evaluated tristrontium aluminate (S3A) and its viability as a component for tricalcium silicate (C3S) cements. The properties of S3A, C3S, and S3A/C3S mixtures were evaluated in terms of setting time, compressive strength, flowability, and radiopacity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern verified the powder synthesized in the laboratory as S3A, consequently, confirming the preparation method. S3A exhibited the lowest setting time, followed by C3S and S3A/C3S mixtures. Compressive strength of C3S was significantly higher than S3A. The S3A/C3S mixture showed comparable compressive strength to C3S for 1-day post initial mixing. There was no significant difference in flowability between S3A/C3S and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). S3A showed comparable radiopacity to MTA, whereas that of the S3A/C3S mixture was significantly lower comparatively; however, it achieved sufficient radiopacity (3 mm aluminum thickness equivalent). Further studies are needed to improve the manufacturing process of S3A and evaluate the bioactive effect of strontium.