Novel continuous, non-woven oxide nanofibers will be used to design, produce and test a new class of allceramic materials for restorative Dental applications. The working hypothesis is that these new nanofiber/glass systems will be of significantly higher mechanical quality than state-of-the-art technologies used in the field. Two materials scientists (Drs. Dzenis and Larsen, co-PI and PI, respectively) will collaborate with a faculty member from the College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center (external consultant, Dr. Thomas Salinas) during Phase I. One of the current topics of emphasis in allceramic restorations research is on developing reliable large-span posterior fixed partial dentures (FPDs). This will be one of the central product development areas that the proposed technology will target toward the commercialization phase. The proposed R and D effort is in line with the mission and current strategic research areas of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). It is anticipated that the novel glass-infiltrated materials will have excellent crack propagation resistance thanks to dense and continuous fibrous reinforcing scaffolds based on alumina, spinel, zirconia, mullite, or a combination of them to produce Dental ceramics with superior esthetic and mechanical qualities. During Phase I, emphasis will be on production of the first few, selected nanofiber-glass materials of this class, their mechanical testing (e.g., flexural strength and fracture toughness), and their microstructure characterization (e.g., porosity and defect population).
