As shown in previous studies within other scientific fields, the material behavior of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is viscoelastic-viscoplastic. However, in dental biomaterial science it is mostly considered as linear elastic or elastic-plastic. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, whether the assumption of elastic or elastic-plastic material behavior for PMMA is a practicable simplification or a potential source of error, especially considering clinical loading conditions. Telio-CAD was tested in three-point bending tests with different test velocities to examine the material behavior at different initial loading rates. Additionally, a dynamic-mechanical-thermal-analysis at different frequencies and temperatures was used. Here, a significant influence of loading rate and temperature as well as stress relaxation and creep were observed. To describe the rate-dependency of the elastic modulus, a new model was created, from which the elastic modulus can be calculated with a given strain rate. This model was validated using linear elastic finite element analysis.
Keywords: Digital image correlation; Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis; Finite element analysis; Three-point bending; polymethyl methacrylate.