Compressive Strength of Conventional Glass Ionomer Cement Modified with TiO2 Nano-Powder and Marine-Derived HAp Micro-Powder

The aim of this research was to investigate the compressive strength (CS), breaking strength (BS), and compressive modulus (CM) of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) modified with TiO2 nano particles, marine-derived hydroxyapatite (md-HAp) microparticles (<45 µm), and a combination of TiO2 NP and md-HAp particles. The materials used in the study were conventional GIC Fuji IX GP Extra (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), TiO2 powder P25 (Degussa, Essen, Germany), and HAp synthesized from cuttlefish bone and ground in a mortar to obtain md-HAp powder. md-HAp was characterized using FTIR and SEM analysis. There were four groups of GIC samples: (i) Fuji IX control group, (ii) powder modified with 3 wt% TiO2, (iii) powder modified with 3 wt% HAp, and (iv) powder modified with 1.5 wt% TiO2 + 1.5 wt% HAp. Measurements were performed in a universal testing machine, and CS, BS, and CM were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey’s tests. CS, BS, and CM differed significantly between the Fuji IX control group and all experimental groups while differences between the experimental groups were not statistically significant. The addition of TiO2 NP, md-HAp micro-sized particles, and a combination of TiO2 and md-HAp reduced the CS, BS, and CM of conventional GICs when mixed at the powder/liquid (p/l) ratio recommended by the manufacturer.