Kekuatan Transversal Komposit Plastik Polypropylene dan Kalsium Karbonat Cangkang Kerang Darah dengan Konsentrasi yang Berbeda sebagai Bahan Baku Model Gigi

Abstract

The dental model is a replica of real teeth used outside the oral cavity. Currently, educational tools in dentistry use factory-made tooth models made of resin, which differ in mechanical properties from real teeth and may limit students’ skill development. The composite of polypropylene (PP) plastic and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) offers a new approach to dental model materials. This study aims to determine the transverse strength of PP and CaCO3 composites made from blood clam shells (Anadara granosa) with varying concentrations as potential materials for dental models. This study used three formulations with different to-PP CaCO3 ratios: (I) 75:25, (II) 83:17, and (III) 88:12. The composite samples measured 65x10x2 mm, with each formulation consisting of 10 samples. The clam shells were boiled in acetic acid for 1 hour at 100°C, dried in an oven at 100°C for 20 minutes, and ground using a blender. A particle size analysis showed that the CaCO3 particles measured 0.35 μm. The PP plastic was melted at 160°C for 20 minutes, then manually mixed with CaCO3 powder on an electric stove at 150°C until homogeneous. The mixture was poured into a mold made of type IV die stone gypsum and pressed with a hydraulic press at 60 psi for 5 minutes. The samples were then polished. The transverse strength test was conducted using a universal testing machine with the three-point bending method and analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The highest transverse strength was found in type II at 57.06±1.30 MPa, followed by type III at 50.42±1.01 MPa, and type I at 48.83±2.32 MPa. The oneway ANOVA results showed a significant difference in transverse strength (p<0.05) with p=0.0001. In conclusion, the composite with the highest transverse strength was type II, with a ratio of 83:17, followed by types III and I.