Relationship between particle size of barium glass filler and water sorption of light-cured composite resin.

The reaction of barium glass filler with water was determined by investigation of the effects of the particle size of barium glass filler on the water sorption rate and the mechanical properties of composite resin. Barium glass and quartz were milled to obtain powders with different average particle sizes. These powders were silanized and used as inorganic filler in composite resin. Photoactivated base monomer was loaded at 65% (w/w) with these fillers to prepare the composite resin paste. The water sorption of barium glass filled resin was always more than that of quartz filled resin. The amount of sorbed water obtained by barium glass filled resin increased as the particle size decreased. The particle size of the quartz filler did not affect the water sorption. The flexural strength of barium filled resin decreased after water immersion more than that of the quartz filled resin as the particle size decreased. These results suggest that the water durability of barium glass is low and the surface of barium glass filler is damaged by water. Water would be retained in the interface between the barium glass filler and the matrix resin.