The influence of molecular weight distribution of poly(acrylic acid) on tensile bond strength of polycarboxylate cement.

Abstract

The influence of the weight average molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution of poly(acrylic acid) on the tensile bond strength of polycarboxylate cement was studied. The bond strength of the cement significantly affected not only the mean molecular weight but also the distribution. The tensile bond strength of the cement prepared from an aqueous solution of poly(acrylic acid), which had a mean molecular weight above 100,000 and a narrow molecular weight distribution, was excellently high.