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

This study evaluated tristrontium aluminate (SA) and its viability as a component for tricalcium silicate (CS) cements. The properties of SA, CS, and SA/CS 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 SA, consequently, confirming the preparation method. SA exhibited the lowest setting time, followed by CS and SA/CS mixtures. Compressive strength of CS was significantly higher than SA. The SA/CS mixture showed comparable compressive strength to CS for 1-day post initial mixing. There was no significant difference in flowability between SA/CS and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). SA showed comparable radiopacity to MTA, whereas that of the SA/CS 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 SA and evaluate the bioactive effect of strontium.