Clinical Materials 12 (1993) 117-120

The Use of Microwave Energy to Cure Denture

Acrylic Resins

Randa IDiwan, E. C. Combe & A. A. Grant

Department of Restorative Dentistry, University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street,
Manchester M 15 6FH, UK

(Received 2 December 1991; sent for revision 9 March 1992; accepted 10 April 1992)

Abstract: Experiments have been carried out on the curing of poly(methy1

methacrylate) denture base material in a microwave oven, using conventional
dental flasks and flask clamps. It has been shown that it is important (a) to
maintain sufficient pressure on the materials, (b) to avoid gaseous porosity by not
heating too rapidly initially, and (c) to ensure that all metal is protected from
exposure to microwaves. When the appropriate conditions of polymerisation were
used, microwave-cured samples had satisfactory physical and mechanical
properties according to American Dental Association specification number 12.

INTRODUCTION can be used for curing denture acrylic resins.4s5 A

Since the introduction of acrylic resin into the
dental field for the construction of denture bases,
several techniques have been employed for its
fabrication. One option is to use injection mould-
ing,l though the most widely used technique is
compression moulding of an acrylic resin dough
which consists of a mixture of poly(methy1 meth-
acryiate) together with monomeric methyl meth-
acrylate and an initiator such as benzoyl peroxide.
This dough is polymerised in a two-part metallic
flask, either using a water bath or dry heat oven at
typically 72 “C for up to 14 h. Use of such a method
to obtain a denture base that is free of porosity and
has satisfactory physical and mechanical properties
consumes much time and energy. More rapid heat
curing cycles have been explored by Jerolimov
et cd2
The chemically activated (self-curing) materials,
containing a tertiary amine activator, require less
energy but the resultant resin has a relatively high
residual monomer content, high creep values, lower
strength and stiffness, poorer colour stability, and is
not usually free of porosity.3
It has been suggested that microwave energy
Ciinical Materids 0267-6605/93/$06.00 0 1993 Elsevier
technique using microwave energy has been re-
ported in which a conventional denture base resin
was cured in specially designed non-metallic flasks,
for example, made of glass-fibre reinforced poly-
ester resin flasks with polycarbonate bolts.5-11
Porosity of the resin was a potential problem,
particularly for thicker sections of material.
This work was undertaken to explore microwave
techniques of curing, to see to wh,at extent this
would be feasible using conventional dental flasks
and materials, and to determine the necessary
conditions for the production of porosity-free
specimens with suitable mechanical properties.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This work was carried out with a hea&-cured resin;
this was an unpigmented materiatl, to enable
assessment of porosity to be undertaken readily. A
polymer/monomer ratio of 2.5/l by weight was
employed. The moulds were prepared from Kaffir
D dental stone, mixed at a water/powder ratio of
0.3.
The microwave oven was an AEG Micromat
117
Science Publishers Ltd, England 10-2
118 R. Diwan, E. C. Combe, A. A. &YXFT~

which operates at a frequency of 2450 MHz. The

maximum power was 650 W. The apparatus
enabled different power settings to be selected: in
this work these ranged from 10 % to 100 % of the
available power, thus enabling different rates of
polymerisation to be studied.
In initial work, the moulds were designed to give
acrylic specimens of rectangular cross-section, of 10 min then 50 %
dimensions 65 mm x 40 mm x 7 mm. Preliminary 100 % power for
experiments were carried out under different con-
ditions without using a conventional dental flask,
because of the inadvisability of exposing metallic
objects to microwaves. Techniques were then
evolved, as detailed below, which permitted the use
of dental flasks. Subsequently, specimens were from the vo~at~~~satio~ of ~~~o~~~---.-~~ un
prepared under a wide range of polymerisation curing, leading to excessive residual ~~r~~~~~~r
in
conditions, and examined visually for porosity.
When optimum curing conditions had been found, ower with visual ~bse~vati~~ of t
some properties of the cured resin were determined specimens after I 60 min it -was
by the methods of American ental Association hat this power setting was insu
(ADA) specification number 12. These included cient ~~ly~e~~sati5~. At 2.0%
transverse deflection, water sorption and solubility, findings were essentially similar. Thirty and 40 %
and colour stability. Finally, dentures were made in power for 60 min gave ised bnt porous
the unpigmented resin, to assess the practical was that cracking of
viability of the suggested curing technique n observed. Attempts

essnre to gypsum mo
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION gauze were also often ~~s~~~essf~~~In sc9me experi-
ments, a V-shaped pattern of porosity was
Preliminary experiments observed owing ts uneven ~~~~~~~t~~~. of pressure

The first test was carried out at 100% power for

10 min in moulds without any means of applying
pressure to the material, to determine if gypsum
could transmit microwaves to the resin. It was
observed that the acrylic mass expanded after about
7 min. At the end of the test, the gypsum was

place.
Following this, an ex
with the stone
kept in its metal flask; w
metal discs removed, on
microwaves could pass thr
to reach the acrylic dough.
the flask clamp was
Fig. 1. Porous acrylic specimens produced in a gypsum mould
pressure could be a
with pressure applied by G-clamps.
 Microwave energy to cure denture resins 119

Table 1. Relation between curing cycle and porosity

Curing cycle Porosity of Porosity of

time and power thin specimens thick specimens
(%I

10 min at 10%
Clear with a single
60 min at 40 % Clear, non-porous
tiny central pore
10 min at 100%
10 min at 10%
90 min at 40 % Clear, non-porous Clear, non-porous
5 min at ‘100%
10 min at 10%
90 min at 40 % Clear, non-porous Clear, non-porous
15 min at 100%
10min at 10%
Clear, non-porous Clear, non-porous
100 min at 40 % 1
Fig. 2. Dentures produced in an unpigmented resin by a
20 min at 110% Incomplete Incomplete
microwave technique.
40 min at 50 % polymerisation polymerisation
20min at IO% Won-porous, quite Slight porosity in
50 min at 50 % 1 transparent centre of specimen
20 min at 1.0% A few pores in lower one contained the dough. As before, this flask
Clear, non-porous
60 min at 50 % 1 centre of specimen was used without its upper or lower metal discs.
20min at 10% Slight porosity in Curing was carried out at 20 %, 50 % and 100 %
Clear, non-porous
90 min at 50% } centre of specimen
20min at 10%
power consecutively, at 20 min for each power
Did not polymerise Did not polymerise setting. The specimens contained a small amount of
30 min at 60% !-
20min at 10%
Porosity in centre porosity.
30 min at 60% Clear, non-porous
with branch shape On the assumption that this porosity was of the
5 min at 100%
20min at 10% gaseous type, the above experiment was repeated,
IClear, non-porous Porosity in centre
40 min at 60 % using a longer curing time, namely, 10 % power for
20min at 10% 20 min, 40 % for 40 min, 60 % for 10 min, then
Clear, non-porous Porosity in centre
45 min at 60% ?
100 % for 10 min. This yielded apparently sat-
isfactory specimens.

processed at 20 % power for 10 min, 50 % power

Effect of curing cycle
for 10 min and full power for 10 min. Porous
specimens resulted, possibly because the gypsum
Following this, many specimens were cured under
was not ex.erting sufficient pressure on the flask with
different conditions, and examined for porosity.
the acrylic dough. Also, the odour of monomer
Table 1 shows the observations for thick specimens
could be detected, suggesting that polymerisation
(7 mm as above) and thin specimens (3 mm).
was incomplete.
In the next experiment, two flasks were used in
the clamp, and a longer curing time was adopted.
The upper flask contained gypsum only, and the

Table 2. Physical and mechanical properties of microwave-cured acrylics

Sample Dejection (mm) ,for loads” Water Water Col’our

1.5-3.5 kg 1.5-H kg sorption’ solubilityb stability
(mglcm’) (mglcm”)

Microwave cured :
10 min at 10%
Slight change
90 min at 40% > 1.48 ( f 0.28) 3.24 ( f 0.44) 0.75 0.005
in colour
15 min at 100%
ADA specification max. 2.5 min. 2.0 max. 0.8 max. 0.04 Slight change
max. 5.5

a Mean of five determinations as required by specification.

b Mean of two determinations as required by specification.
120 R. Diwan, E. G. Corn&, A. A. Grant

Properties of cured specimens

Table 2 shows data for microwave cured specimens, 1. Psyor, W. J., hjection moulding of plastics for dentures. J,
Am. Dent. Assoc. 29 (1942) 1408-8.
tested according to the ADA specification number
2. rooks, S. C., Huggetc, R. Ba’ies, J. F.,
12. It appears that satisfactory acrylic specimens denturekase materials. Dent.
can be produced by this technique.
Full upper and lower dentures were prepared in 3. 07~ Denld Mmeiiab j!ith edn).

Edinburgh, 1986, p. 264.

the microwave oven using an unpigmented resin to 4. thods of polymerisation of dental
enable observation of porosity, if any, to be carried niversity of Manchester, 1983
out. Figure 2 shows dentures cured at 10% power 5. F., On the microwave poly-
merisation method by the developed flask. Quint. Dem.
for 10 min, followed by 40 % power for 90 min, Teechnol., 9 (1984) 961-74.
then 100 % power for 15 min. It can be seen that the 6.
technique appears to have been satisfactory. denture acrylic resins
perties. Quinr. hr.,
7. Clerck, I. P ) Mic ve ~~~y~~~~~~~~~~~ of acryk
IZS used in dental prostheses. J. Prosthef. Dent. 59
CONCLUSIONS (198-i) 6X--8.
8. Sanders. .I. I,., Levin, B. & Reitz, P. V., Porosity in dentuse
acrylic resins cured by microwave energy. Quint. Invn:_ 1,
Acrylic denture materials can be cured using
microwave energy. Conventional dental equipment 9. ori,D., Ifmggett, is., Bates, 1, F. & Brooks; S. CT k.
can be used, provided care is taken to prevent mm of denture base acrylic resins polymerised by
microwave irradiation and by conventional water bath
exposure of metal to microwaves. The technique curing systems. Dent. Muteu., 4 (1988) 25--X.
offers the potential of ensuring adequate curing 10. -hong, V.-T. & Thomasz; F. G. V., Comparison of
with minimal consumption of energy. Because of denture acrylic resins cured by bshg water and mi-
crowave energy. Amt. Denl. 3.: 37 (1988). 201-204.
the potential of this system, further studies are
81. h&i, B., Sanders, J &. & Reitz, 37 ii., The use cf
being conducted on the effect of curing conditions microwave energy for processing acr$ic resim. J, Brosthe;.
on residual monomer and mechanical properties.