Development of poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(lactic acid) blend as sustainable biopolymer for dental applications (Running Title) PMMA/PLA blend as biopolymer for dental applications

Abstract Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is gaining popularity in manufacturing due to environmental concerns. When comparing to poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), PLA exhibits low thermal properties. To enhance the properties of these polymers, a PMMA/PLA blend has been introduced. This study aimed to investigate the optimal ratio of PMMA/PLA blends for potential dental applications based on their mechanical properties, physical properties, and biocompatibility. The PMMA/PLA blends were manufactured by melting and mixing using twin screw extruder and prepared into thermoplastic polymer beads. The specimens of neat PMMA (M100), three different ratios of PMMA/PLA blends (M75, M50, and M25), and neat PLA (M0) were fabricated with injection molding technique. The neat polymers and polymer blends were investigated in terms of flexural properties, glass transition temperature (Tg), miscibility, residual monomer, water sorption, water solubility, degradation, and biocompatibility. The data was statistically analyzed. The results indicated that Tg of PMMA/PLA blends improved with increasing PMMA content. PMMA/PLA blends were miscible in all composition ratios. The flexural properties of polymer blends were superior to those of neat PMMA and neat PLA. The biocompatibility was not different among different composition ratios. Additionally, the other parameters of PMMA/PLA blends were improved as the PMMA ratio decreased. Thus, the optimum ratio of PMMA/PLA blends have the potential to serve as novel sustainable biopolymer for extensive dental applications.