Effect of irradiation source on the dentin bond strength of a one-bottle universal adhesive containing an amide monomer

One-bottle universal adhesives have been widely used because of their simplicity of bonding procedures for various dental materials. The present study evaluated the effect of the polymerization light source on the micro-tensile bond strengths of a universal adhesive (Clearfil Universal Bond Quick) to dentin in comparison with a one-bottle self-etch adhesive (Clearfil S³ Bond Plus) and two 2-step self-etch adhesives (Clearfil SE Bond and Clearfil SE Bond 2). The adhesives were applied to extracted human dentin according to the manufacturer’s instructions and irradiated using either a quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) or blue light-emitting diode (LED). Subsequently, a resin composite was incrementally built on each adhesive and light-cured using the QTH. The bonded specimens were sectioned and subjected to micro-tensile bond strength tests. Both the type of adhesive and the light source were found to statistically affect the bond strength, with no interactions. The LED gave greater bond strength than the QTH. The bond strengths of the two-step adhesives were significantly higher than those of the one-bottle products, irrespective of the light source. The Clearfil Universal Bond Quick exhibited significantly higher bond strength than the Clearfil S³ Bond Plus. LED curing improved the performance of Clearfil Universal Bond Quick, and this product generated bond strength superior to that of the existing one-bottle adhesive Clearfil S³ Bond Plus.     

Preparation and performance of high refractive index silicone resin‐type materials for the packaging of light‐emitting diodes

A novel high refractive index and highly transparent silicone resin‐type material for the packaging of high‐power light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) is introduced, which was synthesized by hydrosilylation of vinyl end‐capped methylphenyl silicone resin and methylphenyl hydrosilicone oil catalyzed by Karstedt's catalyst. The vinyl end‐capped methylphenyl silicone resins were prepared by hydrolysis?polycondensation method from methylphenyl diethoxysilane (MePhSi(OEt)₂), phenyl triethoxysilane (PhSi(OEt)₃), and vinyl dimethylethoxy silane (Me₂ViSiOEt) in toluene/water mixture catalyzed by cation‐exchange resin. The vinyl end‐capped methylphenyl silicone resins were characterized by ¹H‐NMR and Fourier‐transform infrared. The performances of the cured silicone resin‐type materials for LED packaging have been examined in detail. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel silicon‐containing polytriazole resin

4,4′‐Diazidomethylbiphenyl (DAMBP) and poly(dimethylsilylene‐ethynylenephenyleneethynylene) (PDMSEPE) were thermally polymerized to form a novel silicon‐containing polytriazole resin (PDMSEPE‐DAMBP) by 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition. Differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR, and ¹³C‐NMR were used to characterize the curing behaviors of PDMSEPE‐DAMBP resins. The results indicated that the resins could cure at temperatures as low as 80°C. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that there was a glass transition at 302°C for the cured PDMSEPE‐DAMBP resin. The carbon fiber (T700) reinforced PDMSEPE‐DAMBP composites exhibited excellent mechanical properties at room temperature and high property retention at 250°C. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Study of dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc/epoxy composites

In the present study, an epoxy resin was dynamically cured in a polypropylene (PP)/maleic anhydride–grafted PP (MAH‐g‐PP)/talc matrix to prepare dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc/epoxy composites. An increase in the torque at equilibrium showed that epoxy resin in the PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc composites had been cured by 2‐ethylene‐4‐methane‐imidazole. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that MAH‐g‐PP and an epoxy resin had effectively increased the interaction adhesion between PP and the talc in the PP/talc composites. Dynamic curing of the epoxy resin further increased the interaction adhesion. The dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc/epoxy composites had higher crystallization peaks than did the PP/talc composites. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the addition of MAH‐g‐PP and the epoxy resin into the PP/talc composites caused an obvious improvement in the thermal stability. The dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc/epoxy composites had the best thermal stability of all the PP/talc composites. The PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc/epoxy composites had better mechanical properties than did the PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc composites, and the dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/talc/epoxy composites had the best mechanical properties of all the PP/talc composites, which can be attributed to the better interaction adhesion between the PP and the talc. The suitable content of epoxy resin in the composites was about 5 wt %. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Monomer conversion in a light‐cured dental resin containing 1‐phenyl‐1,2‐ propanedione photosensitizer

The efficiency of 1‐phenyl‐1,2‐propanedione (PPD) photosensitizer for the photopolymerization of a dental resin based on 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloxyprop‐1‐oxy)phenyl]propane/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate was assessed. Experimental formulations containing PPD or/and camphorquinone (CQ) in combination with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), ethyl‐4‐dimethylaminobenzoate (EDMAB), 4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)phenethyl alcohol (DMPOH) and N,N‐3,5‐tetramethylaniline (TMA) at different concentrations were studied. The photopolymerization was carried out by means of a commercial light‐emitting diode (LED) curing unit. Near‐infrared spectroscopy was used to follow the consumption of double bonds versus irradiation time. No significant differences in the conversion values among formulations prepared with PPD in combination with DMAEMA, DMPOH and TMA were found. In contrast, the conversion was markedly increased by the presence of EDMAB. At low concentrations of photosensitizer, when used in combination with DMAEMA and EDMAB, PPD resulted in a final conversion equivalent to CQ. However, when DMPOH and TMA were used, PPD was found to be less efficient than CQ. In addition, at high photoinitiator concentration, the effectiveness of PPD was less than that of CQ independently of the co‐initiator used. The replacement of some CQ by an equivalent amount of PPD resulted in similar final monomer conversion as formulations having the same amount of CQ alone. The LED light source employed emitted in the wavelength range 410–490 nm with a peak around 470 nm, whereas the maximum molar absorbance of PPD was in the UV region. However, the small overlap of the spectral distribution of the LED curing lamp and the PPD absorption spectrum was compensated by the large extinction coefficient of PPD. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Kinetics modeling of carbon‐fiber‐reinforced bismaleimide composites under microwave and thermal curing

This article focuses on the analysis of the curing kinetics of carbon‐fiber‐reinforced bismaleimide (BMI) composites during microwave (MW) curing. A nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method was used to obtain an accurate kinetic model. The degree of curing, chemical characterization, and glass‐transition temperature of the resin and composites cured by thermal and MW heating were analyzed with DSC, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The experimental results indicate that MW accelerated the crosslinking reaction of the BMI resin and had different effects on the reaction processes, especially for the glass‐transition temperature and chemical bonds. However, the curing reaction rate of the BMI resin decreased when the carbon fibers were added to the BMI resin during thermal and MW curing. According to the experimental results, the curing kinetic model of the BMI composite was used to provide a theoretical foundation for MW curing analysis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43770.     

Polymerization shrinkage,stress, and degree of conversion in silorane‐ and dimethacrylate‐based dental composites

To compare two kind of resin‐based dental composites, the polymerization shrinkage, contraction stress (CS), and degree of conversion (DC) of four dimethacrylate‐based and one silorane‐based composite were investigated. To determine shrinkage, the composites were packed, respectively, into a cylindrical cavity in human teeth and imaged using X‐ray microcomputed tomography to determine the precise volume before and 30 min after photopolymerization. To determine CS, the sample was applied in a similarly sized cylinder in a universal testing machine and monitored for 30 min. FTIR spectroscopy was used to determine DC. The volumetric shrinkage (range: 1.1–3.1%) and maximum CS (range: 1.2–3.5 MPa) differed significantly among the tested composites but not the final DC (range: 62.3–69.1%). The silorane‐based composite displayed the lowest volumetric shrinkage and CS of all composites. No correlation was observed between the stress and volumetric shrinkage values of the dimethacrylate‐based composites. A moderate correlation was found between stress and DC (r = 0.836), which was significant at 20 and 40 s. The silorane‐based composite exhibited superior shrinkage behavior compared with conventional dimethacrylate composites with comparable polymerization kinetics. The CS was dependent on multiple variables, including the volumetric shrinkage, DC, and curing rate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Polymerization shrinkage/stress and dentin bond strength of silorane and dimethacrylate‐based dental composites

This study was designed to determine whether a new dedicated adhesive system using a silorane composite exhibits better bonding performance to human dentin than conventional dimethacrylate‐based composites. The materials were used included: Adper? Easy Bond‐Z250 (AE‐Z250), iBond‐Venus (IB‐VE), XenoIII‐TPH (XE‐TPH), Clearfil S3‐Clearfil Majesty (S3‐CM), and the Filtek silorane system (SA‐FS). Polymerization volumetric shrinkage and stress development were measured using a micro‐CT instrument and universal testing machine. The push out strength of the bonds produced using the corresponding self‐etching adhesive systems were also measured. The volumetric shrinkage of the resin composite/adhesive combinations ranged from 1.05% (SA‐FS) to 3.38% (XE‐TPH) 30 min after light curing. SA‐FS had the lowest volumetric shrinkage (P < 0.05), followed by S3‐CM, EA‐Z250, IB‐VE, and XE‐TPH. The polymerization stress of the materials ranged from 1.54 (SA‐FS) to 3.49 MPa (S3‐CM). The lowest stress was also observed in SA‐FS at 30 min during the stress test (P < 0.05). Push‐out bond strength testing revealed that IB‐VE had significantly lower bond strength than other combinations (P < 0.05). The silorane composite and dedicated adhesive system exhibited excellent characteristics of low volumetric shrinkage and stress development compared to conventional dimethacrylate‐based composites. However, the silorane composite resin system possessed similar push‐out bond strength as the other materials, with the exception of the Venus/iBond combination. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Effects of compaction and UV exposure on performance of acrylate/glass‐fiber composites cured layer by layer

With an aim to reducing manufacturing costs, in general and specifically to provide a solution to the thick laminate curing depth issue for composite materials, UV curing technology was combined with a fiber placement process to fabricate acrylate/glass‐fiber composites. A novel layer‐by‐layer UV in situ curing method was employed in this article and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests and SEM were used to evaluate the effect of processing parameters, including compaction force and UV exposure dose, on ILSS. The SEM images from short‐beam strength test samples and the results of ILSS showed that the fibers' distribution was uniform in the cured matrix resin resulting from the compaction forces and that beneficially influenced the ILSS of the composite greatly. However, the matrix resin produced large shrinkage stresses when it reached a high degree of conversion (DC) in one‐step, which resulted in poor interlaminar adhesion. In addition, the fast curing speed of UV on the composite resulted in poor wetting between fiber and resin, and accordingly resulted in lower ILSS. To overcome these problems and obtain high ILSS value composites, an optimized compaction force and UV exposure dose were determined experimentally. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Controlling the release of active iron and manganese ions from styrene‐butadiene rubber‐binding matrix containing chloride salts of them

A series of epoxy resin composites containing different contents of alkoxysilane functionalized polycaprolactone/polydimethylsiloxane (PCS‐2Si) were prepared after curing with polyamidoamine curing agent at different temperatures. The effects of PCS‐2Si content and curing temperature on morphologies, solvent resistance, and surface properties of the composites were studied. The scanning electron microscope results showed that increasing the PCS‐2Si content and curing temperature caused the changes of miscibility between epoxy and modifier, leading to different morphologies. Other data from solvent swelling and surface tension of composites cured at the same temperature illustrated that the modified epoxy resins with higher content of PCS‐2Si had less crosslinked networks, but lower surface tension. At the same time, the composites cured at higher curing temperature generally had more resistance to chemicals and higher surface tension due to the formation of highly crosslinked networks. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Influences of different gravity environments on the curing process and cured products of carbon‐nanotube‐reinforced epoxy composites

The influences of different gravity environments on the curing process and the cured products of carbon‐nanotube‐reinforced epoxy composites were investigated in this study. Different gravity environments were simulated with a superconducting magnet on the basis of which resin matrix composites with different amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (NH₂‐MWCNT) concentrations of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 wt % were tested. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermomechanical analysis (TMA), thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and three‐point bending tests were used to analyze the characteristics of different curing processes and cured products. From the results, we observed that the curing rate of the epoxy composites was influenced by different gravity values, and there was anisotropy in the NH₂‐MWCNT‐reinforced epoxy composites cured in the simulated microgravity environment. More effects of gravity on the curing process and cured products could be obtained through detailed experiments and discussion; this is important and fundamental for improving and enhancing the properties of composite materials used in different gravity environments. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41413.     

The influence of post‐cure on properties of carbon/phenolic resin cured composites and their final carbon/carbon composites

Two‐dimensional (2D) carbon/carbon (C/C) composites were prepared with phenol‐formaldehyde resin and graphite fabric. After curing, polymer composites were post‐cured in air at 160°C and 230°C for several hours and then all polymer composites were carbonized up to 1500°C. The effect of post‐cure on the microstructure and fracture behavior of the resultant carbon/carbon composites was studied. The post‐cure process was characterized by weight loss. This process promoted the crosslinking and condensation reactions and led to the formation of long‐chain, cross‐linked polymeric structures in the matrix. The post‐cured composites had a greater density than the unpost‐cured composite. This study indicates that a longer post‐curing time and higher post‐curing temperature would limit the shrinkage for the post‐cured composites during carbonization. The improvement in linear shrinkage was 22% to 44%. This process also limited the formation of open pores and decreased the weight loss of the resultant C/C composites. The resultant C/C composites developed from post‐cured composites had a greater flexural strength by 7 to 26% over that developed from unpost‐cured composite.     

Photo‐curing behaviors of bio‐based isosorbide dimethacrylate by irradiation of light‐emitting diodes and the physical properties of its photo‐cured materials

Bio‐based isosorbide (1,4:3,6‐dianhydroglucitol), which was obtained from biomass‐derived carbohydrates, has recently attracted much attention as an alternative to bisphenol A (BPA) because of its rigidity and transparency. BPA is still widely used for a variety of chemical applications even though it is known to be an endocrine‐disrupting chemical. BPA is a key precursor to most photo‐curable materials ranging from encapsulants of electronic devices to dental sealants. In this study, photo‐curable isosorbide dimethacrylate (ISDM) was synthesized from bio‐based isosorbide as a substitute for BPA, and the photo‐curing behaviors of ISDM by irradiation with light‐emitting diode (LED) light were investigated. The photo‐curing conversion and rates of ISDM formation were determined based on the change in the peak corresponding to the double bond within the methacrylate groups using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy. The effects of initiators and the wavelength of LED light on the photo‐curing conversion and rates of ISDM formation were examined, and a comparative study was carried out with 2,2‐bis[4(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxy‐propyloxy)phenylpropane] (Bis‐GMA), which is a photo‐curing material bearing a BPA moiety. In addition, the mechanical properties, such as surface hardness, adhesion strength, and transparency, after photo‐curing of ISDM were evaluated. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42726.     

Viscoelasticity behaviors of lightly cured natural rubber/zinc dimethacrylate composites

Zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA) can be polymerized during peroxide curing to form the polymerized ZDMA (PZDMA) at nanoscales. At the same time, the covalent crosslink of the rubber matrix and ionic crosslink introduced by the graft‐PZDMA also are formed. The structure evolution of this type of composites is complex. In this article, the dynamic viscoelasticity characteristics of lightly cured ZDMA/natural rubber (NR) composites were investigated using a Rubber Process Analyzer 2000 (RPA2000). Our goal was to study the internal structures of this type of composites in an early curing stage. The dynamical viscoelasticity of the composites cured for 1 min was focused. The results of RPA2000 indicated that the PZDMA could act as particles to form a strong filler–filler structure which resulted in apparent Payne effect. A “primary network” structure might be formed which contained covalent crosslink points, ionic crosslinks, physical adsorption, and PZDMA. The stress‐softening behavior was also investigated. At last, the scanning electron microscope analysis verified that most of the ZDMA had been polymerized to form PZDMA “nanoparticle” when the composites were cured for 1 min. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

A comparison of efficiency of two photoinitiators for polymerization of light‐cure dental composite resins

The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of two photoinitiators, (?)camphorquinone (CQ) and 1‐phenyl‐1,2‐propanedione (PPD) on curing performance of light‐cure dental composite resins. Bisphenol A‐glycidyl methacrylate (BisGMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) monomer mixture was used as the resin matrix. The resin matrix was mixed with CQ and/or PPD along with 0.25% of 4‐(dimethyl amino) phenethyl alcohol (DMAPEA) catalyst. The effect of photoinitiator on curing performance was evaluated and compared in terms of properties such as depth of cure, diametral tensile strength (DTS), flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM), vickers hardness number (VHN), water sorption (WS), and solubility of cured composite. Statistical evaluation using Analysis of Variance (single factor) showed that the photosensitization efficiency of CQ and PPD are comparable. However, their combination showed synergistic effect for properties such as DTS and solubility. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Thermal and mechanical properties of microwave‐ and heat‐cured poly(methyl methacrylate) used as dental base material

The thermal and mechanical properties of dental base materials cured by microwave and conventional heat methods were studied. The commercial dental base poly(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) powder and liquid were mixed in a 3/1 ratio. They were polymerized by a peroxy catalyst at 65°C, then cured with a boiling water temperature and microwave radiation for periods of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 min for heat curing and 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 min for microwave radiation. The microwave radiation outputs used were 500 and 700 W. The products of 5‐min heat curing and 1‐, 2‐, and 7‐min microwave curing were soluble in chloroform. All the others were partially soluble. The viscosity‐average molecular weights of the soluble samples were about 1 × 10⁶. The thermal properties of the polymer samples were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For the samples that were not cured completely, broad exothermic peaks at around 125°C were obtained in the DSC thermograms. The glass‐transition temperatures for completely cured samples were 110–120°C. The mechanical properties of the samples were determined from tensile and three‐point bending tests. The elastic modulus was highest for samples obtained by the conventional method with a 30‐min curing period. However, the bending modulus was highest for 7‐min cured samples in a 700‐W microwave. The mechanical strengths of the 700‐W output were higher than those at 500 W. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 251–256, 2003     

Preparation and properties of novel hybrid resins based on acetylene‐functional benzoxazine and polyvinylsilazane

A serial of addition‐curable hybrid resins for resin matrix of advanced composites are prepared by thermal prepolymerization between acetylene‐functional benzoxazine(BZ) and polyvinylsilazane(PSN) with various weight ratios. Processing capability of BZ‐PSN resin is investigated by measuring viscosity. Cure behavior is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra. Thermal property of cured BZ‐PSN resin is investigated by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). BZ‐PSN resin shows a low viscosity of 40–180 mPa·s between 60 and 90°C, and maintains the low viscosity for 6 h, indicating that the resin is suitable for resin transfer molding (RTM) process to fabricate composites. DSC results show that BZ‐PSN resin can be cured completely at about 250°C without adding any other curing additives. FT‐IR shows the reaction between BZ and PSN take place. TGA shows that thermal stability of cured BZ‐PSN resin is increased with the content of polyvinylsilazane increasing both in nitrogen and in air. DMA shows cured hybrid resins have excellent thermal properties. The excellent processability and thermal properties suggest that BZ‐PSN resin is a promising candidate for resin matrix of advanced composites. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3794–3799, 2013     

Effects of composite viscosity and adhesive curing mode on marginal sealing of restorations

Objectives: Evaluate the influence of composite viscosity, adhesive systems curing mode and artificial aging on marginal sealing of composite resin restorations. Methods: 240 cavities were prepared in bovine incisors. Teeth were divided in two groups: GR – GrandioSO (Voco), conventional viscosity and GF – GrandioSO Heavy Flow (Voco), low viscosity. Each group was divided into 6 subgroups: FM – Futura Bond M (Voco), FDCL and FDCC – Futura Bond DC (Voco), light and chemical cured, CS – Clearfil S³ Bond (Kuraray), CDCL and CDCC – Cleafil DC (Kuraray), light and chemical cured. Half of all specimens were subjected to mechanical (300.000) and thermal cycling (1.000). Marginal gap was measured in an optical microscope. For microleakage, specimens were stained in 50% ammoniacal silver nitrate. Results: For marginal gap mean (μm), significant differences were shown for all factors (p = 0.000). Results for resin were GR: 28.1 and GF: 40.6; for adhesive CDCC: 28.67, CDCL: 32.25, CS: 34.12, FDCL: 36.10, FM: 36.50 and FDCC: 38.46; and for artificial aging WITHOUT: 29.05 and WITH: 39.65. For microleakage mean (mm), there were also differences for all factors (p = 0.000). Results for resin were GR: 2.68 and GF: 3.46; for adhesive FM: 2.85, CDCC: 3.00, FDCL: 3.08, CDCL: 3.15, CS: 3.16 and FDCC: 3.19; and for artificial aging WITHOUT: 2.66 and WITH: 3.48. Conclusion: Composite with conventional viscosity resulted in narrower marginal gaps and less microleakage. CDCC showed less marginal gap formation. The presence of thermo-mechanical cycling increased the values of gap and microleakage.     

Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of γ‐ray‐cured poly(methyl methacrylate) used as a dental‐base material

In this study, γ rays were used for the first time to cure dental‐base material. The effect of the radiation dose on the thermal and rheological properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) used as a dental‐base material was investigated. The commercial powder and liquid material (heat‐curing‐grade) were mixed and polymerized at 60 and 70°C in a constant‐temperature water bath for 30 min and then were cured by γ rays, with total doses of 7.5, 15, 22.5, 30, 45, 52.5, 360, and 2160 krad. For each sample, the viscosity‐average molecular weights were measured, and no significant differences were observed of total dose on molecular weights. A thermal investigation with differential scanning calorimetry showed an exothermic peak in the thermograms of samples that were not completely polymerized and crosslinked. The rheological nature of the samples was studied with dynamic mechanical analysis. A comparison of properties of γ‐ray‐cured samples and those cured by other methods revealed γ curing to be a superior method for producing high‐molecular‐weight homogenous polymers with low porosity and crosslinking. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 1291–1296, 2001     

Residual monomer release from orthodontic adhesives cured with different light sources

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the residual monomer release from orthodontic adhesives cured with light-emitting diode (LED) and halogen light sources.

Methods: Seven hundred and twenty stainless steel brackets were divided into 3 groups according to the adhesive system used (Transbond XT light-cure adhesive [TXT], Transbond LR capsule [LR], and Light Bond light-cure adhesive paste [LB]), and each group was divided into 2 subgroups according to light-curing procedure (LED or halogen). Brackets were bonded with adhesives onto tooth buccal surfaces and polymerized. Each specimen contained 24 brackets that simulated the oral environment (n = 5). The specimens were immersed in a 75% ethanol/water solution at 37 °C for 10 min, 1 h, 1 d, 7 d, 14 d, and 30 d, respectively. Eluted monomers (Bis-GMA, UDMA, and TEGDMA) were detected using HPLC.

Results: There was residual monomer release at all time periods, and the highest amount of release was observed cumulatively on the 30th day. The cumulative Bis-GMA released from adhesives was not different (p > 0.05). The cumulative TEGDMA released from adhesives was statistically different (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between QTH and LED light-curing units for each adhesive (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: The release of residual monomers stays at a high level for a long time after polymerization. The total leaching of residual monomers from the Light Bond light-cure sealant resin plus Light Bond light-cure adhesive paste was higher than that of other materials for both curing units. Different curing units (LED or QTH) did not affect the monomer release from the orthodontic adhesives.