The development of silicone elastomers with hydrophilic functionality in the form of PEG substituents provides benefits beyond the rheology modification (thickening) that can be achieved with silicone elastomers that lack functional substituents. We have shown that PEG-modified dimethicone crosspolymer (PEG-DCP) is an effective emulsifier for water-in-silicone (w/s) emulsions where the continuo...

Five different water passive samplers were calibrated under laboratory conditions for measurement of 124 legacy and current used pesticides. This study provides a protocol for the passive sampler preparation, calibration, extraction method and instrumental analysis. Sampling rates (RS) and passive sampler-water partition coefficients (KPW) were calculated for silicone rubber, polar organic chem...

The traction force produced by biological cells has been visualized as distortions in flexible substrata. We have utilized quantitative phase microscopy by digital holography (DH-QPM) to study the wrinkling of a silicone rubber film by motile fibroblasts. Surface deformation and the cellular traction force have been measured from phase profiles in a direct and straightforward manner. DH-QPM is ...

Liquid jet injections have been performed on human skin in vivo and silicone rubber using Intraject needle-free injectors. The discharge characteristics of the liquid jet were measured using a custom-built test instrument. The experiments reveal that a high-speed liquid jet penetrates a soft solid by the formation and opening of a planar crack. The fluid stagnation pressure required for skin pe...

We explore an acoustic scattering cancellation shell for buoyant hollow cylinders submersed in a water background. A thin, low-shear, elastic coating is used to cancel the monopole scattering from an air-filled, neutrally buoyant steel shell for all frequencies where the wavelength is larger than the object diameter. By design, the uncoated shell also has an effective density close to the aqueo...

The resistance of three silicone and one polyvinyl chloride maxillofacial materials to staining by tea, lipstick, and disclosing solution was measured by reflectance spectrophotometry. Changes in color caused by staining were larger than changes caused by color instability of the base elastomers or pigments under conditions of accelerated aging.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The average clinical life span of a maxillofacial prosthesis is approximately 6 months, at which point it needs to be refabricated, mainly because of degradation of the color and physical properties of the prosthesis. PURPOSE This first part of a 3-part study evaluated the effect of coloring agents on the physical properties of maxillofacial elastomers. METHODS AND MATE...

Soft denture liners are used in complete and partial removable dentures to distribute functional loads homogeneously on the denture-bearing tissues. These materials are recommended in cases of irregular bone resorption, bony undercuts, thin atrophic mucosa, immediate prosthesis, healing after implant placement, and for patients with bruxism and xerostomia. The resilient lining materials can be ...

Theoretical models are proposed to account for the hydrophobic recovery kinetics of electrically discharged silicone elastomers, in which the effects of both the diffusion and adsorption of in situ produced low molecular weight (LMW) species are considered. A homogeneous solid diffusion model or a pore diffusion model well represents the surface restructuring of silicone elastomers exposed to p...