Mechanical properties of two kinds of silicone elastomers for maxillofacial prosthesis

Objective To evaluate the mechanical properties of two kinds of silicone elastomers(silicone A and silicone B). MethodsThe tear strength,tensile strength,property change percent of elongation at break and Shore A hardness of two kinds of silicone elastomers(silicone A and silicone B) and MDX4-4210 were measured under the national criteria.The data were statistically analyzed.Results The tear strength of silicone B was significantly greater than those of silicone A and MDX4-4210(P0.05),while there was no significant difference between the latter two(P0.05).The tensile strength and property change percent of elongation at break of MDX4-4210 were significantly greater than those of silicone A and silicone B(P0.05),with those of silicone A being the smallest.The Shore A hardness of silicone A was smaller than those of MDX4-4210 and silicone B,with MDX4-4210 being the biggest(P0.05).Conclusion Silicone A and silicone B can fundamentally serve as the prosthetic materials for facial soft tissue defect.However,compared with MDX4-4210,there are room for advancement with respect to tensile strength,especially for silicone A.