Polymer-infiltrated ceramics (PICs) were prepared by monomer infiltration into porous ceramic preforms and subsequent polymerization by varying the silane concentration in the range of 1 to 20 wt% to investigate the effect of silane concentration on mechanical properties of the PICs. The optimized hardness, the strength and the fracture toughness of 99.5 Hv, 271±10 MPa and 3.74±0.11 MPa·m^1/2 were observed for the PICs having a silane concentration of 14%. However, they started to decrease when the silane content was raised more than 15%. The fracture mode was changed from intergranular to transgranular fracture across the ceramic particles with increasing the silane content. Most of the crack energy was dissipated by passing through the ceramic particles rather than through the polymer. The PICs exhibited no evidence of causing cell lysis or toxicity regardless of silane concentration, implying that the PICs are clinically suitable for use as dental restorations.

1~20 wt% 실란 처리한 다공성 세라믹 전성형체에 단량체를 침투하고 중합반응을 거쳐 고분자 침투 세라믹(PIC)을 제조하여 실란 농도별 PIC 기계적 물성을 조사하였다. 최적의 경도(99.5 Hv), 강도(271±10 MPa), 파괴인성(3.74±0.11 MPa·m^1/2)이 14 wt% 실란 처리한 PIC에서 관찰되었다. 하지만, 실란 농도가 15% 이상이 되면 기계적 물성은 감소하였다. 파괴거동은 실란 농도가 증가함에 따라 입계파괴에서 입내파괴로 변화하였다. 대부분의 균열 에너지는 세라믹 입자를 통과하면서 소진되었다. PIC는 실란 농도에 관계없이 세포 용해 또는 독성을 일으키지 않아 임상적으로 치과용 수복물에 적합하였다.

Keywords: polymer-infiltrated ceramics, silane-treatment, mechanical properties, cytotoxicity