Mechanical and bioactive properties of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic mixtures synthesized by two different methods

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical and bioactive performances of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic mixtures produced from the SiO 2 -Li 2 O-ZrO 2 -K 2 O-P 2 O 5 -Al 2 O 3 system by sol-gel and melting methods. The microstructure and constituent of the samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and EDS analyses. The flexural strength was analyzed using 3-point bending tests, and the bioactive behavior was evaluated by immersion test in simulated body fluid (SBF) solution. Compared with the samples prepared by single method, the results suggested that the lithium disilicate glass-ceramic mixtures combined by sol-gel and melting methods form better cross-linked interlocking microstructure to achieve higher flexural strength, simultaneously with excellent bioactive performance, which could be a promising candidate for restorative dental biomedical application.