Aging processes in dental thermoplastics – Thermoanalytical investigations and effects on Vickers as well as Martens hardness

The combinations of pure polymers and viable aging protocols analyzed within this study were identified via TGA or DSC as PA12 & thermocycling, POM-H & denture cleanser/lactic acid/ethanol, PP & lactic acid. The dental polymeric materials PMMA_D and POM_D due to aging in lactic acid showed slight but significantly (p < 0.01) reduced Vickers and partly Martens hardness. PEEK showed the greatest material resistance within this study.