The use of elastic materials favours degradation of their surface. The period of their clinical usefulness is then shortened, and their further utilisation in the oral cavity may have the reverse effect. The surface properties of such material as well as the influence of the humidity on their surface are very important as they determine the prosthetic materials behavior in the mouth. The surface of such material should be resistant to water. Inverse gas chromatography is an accurate, sensitive technique for studying surface properties. Thanks to using a unique equipment specially designed for IGC technique, Surface Energy Analyzer, it was possible to characterize the surface at 0 and 80% of humidity. Our results show that increased humidity does not affect surface properties of studied prosthetic materials. Their ability to dispersive and specific interactions change in very limited degree. IGC experiment was also applied for the estimation of Hansen solubility parameters that indicate ability of a material to dispersive, polar, and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Relation between the surface characteristics and practical use of soft lining materials with implications for their clinical usefulness is also discussed.
Keywords: Inverse gas chromatography; Prosthetic materials; Solubility parameter; Surface properties.