Change in the Mechanical Behaviour of Facial Elastomers after Weathering and Chemical Disinfection

Ritika Gupta

Abstract: Weathering and chemical disinfection are some of the parameters that lead to the deterioration of the facial elastomers over a period of time, especially the mechanical properties; tensile and tear strength. This study evaluated the effect of weathering and chemical disinfection on the tensile strength of two commercially available Room Temperature Vulcanizing silicone; M511 and A2000. The sample size of n=80 (n=40, each material) fabricated in a custom-made mold. The samples were suspended outdoor in Indian climatic conditions for a year and disinfected daily using commercially available disinfectant. The tensile strength tabulated before and after weathering, chemical disinfection using Universal Testing Machine (Instron) in the unit of Kg/cm2. Statistical analysis done using student paired t test showed significant difference (p-value=0.000**). A2000 showed better results compared to M511, therefore, giving us a clear choice between the two materials.

Keywords: Facial elastomers, Weathering, Chemical disinfection, Tensile strength