Effect of Adding Different Concentrations of CaCO₃-SiO₂ Nanoparticles on Tear Strength and Hardness of Maxillofacial Silicone Elastomers

The service life of a facial prosthesis is about six months as a result of the impairment in its mechanical or physical properties; thus, introducing a new reinforced maxillofacial silicone material can help in fabricating a long service life prosthesis that eliminates the burden for the patients both financially and psychologically. In this study, forty samples were fabricated by adding different concentrations of CaCO₃-SiO₂ nanoparticles composite to maxillofacial silicone elastomer. These samples were divided into four groups, each one containing ten samples according to the concentration of the fillers (0%,1%,2%, and 3%). All samples were tested for tear strength and hardness tests. The study results show that CaCO₃-SiO₂ nanoparticles composite has a significant effect on both conducted tests. It can be concluded that reinforcing the silicone matrix with 2% CaCO₃-SiO₂ nanoparticles composite can improve the tear strength of the tested silicone and increase its hardness.