Dynamic viscoelastic properties of processed soft denture liners: Part II--Effect of aging.

The proper functioning of soft denture liners depends to a great extent on their mechanical properties. As with many polymers these materials are affected by aging. Twelve soft denture liners were processed by a laboratory according to the manufacturers' directions. Five specimens of each material were tested without aging. Five additional specimens of each material were subjected to 900 hours of accelerated aging in a Weather-Ometer instrument. These were tested with a dynamic viscoelastometer at three frequencies and two temperatures, and data for 37 degrees C and 1 Hz was obtained. Two of the ethyl methacrylate resins demonstrated the largest increases in storage (E') and loss moduli (E") after aging. These materials also showed the greatest overall E' and E". One denture liner material exhibited 673% and 488% increases in E' and E", and other materials showed smaller increases. The effects of aging on the damping factor (tan delta) were varied and five materials showed increased tan delta. Only two ethyl methacrylate resins developed lower tan delta. All the silicone and polyphosphazine rubbers showed small changes after aging and had the lowest tan delta values. Significance of differences between materials and treatments was tested with ANOVA, Scheffé intervals, and t-tests at a = 0.05. The ethyl methacrylate soft denture liners were affected the most by accelerated aging, and the silicones and polyphosphazine were least affected. The ethyl methacrylate resins also had the greatest values of E', E", and tan delta after aging.