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10.5005/jp-journals-10019-1037
A Study on Imbibition and Syneresis in Four Commercially Available Irreversible Hydrocolloid (Alginate) Impression Materials
ORIGINAL RESEARCH

A Study on Imbibition and Syneresis in Four

Commercially Available Irreversible Hydrocolloid
(Alginate) Impression Materials
Shushant Garg, Sanjeev Mittal, Sanjay Bansal, Gagandeep Kansal

ABSTRACT elastomeric materials including polysulfide, condensation

Purpose: To evaluate imbibition and syneresis in four silicone, addition silicone, polyether and hydrocolloids.
commercially available irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) Alginate (hydrocolloid) is polysaccharide consisting of
impression materials at different time intervals (10, 20 and 30 alternating segments of (1-4) linked -L-guluronic acid and
minutes).
-d-mannuronic acid. It is a popular material in the last years
Materials and methods: Eighty samples of four commercially because of its easy mixing and low cost when compared to
available irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials
other impression materials. It is used most commonly in
Algitex (DPI, Mumbai), Plastalgin (Septodont, Cedex, France),
Zelgan 2002 (Dentsply), Finndent (Pyrex Polykem) were made. making dental casts for diagnosis, treatment and fabrication
Twenty samples each of four irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) of prostheses.1
impression materials were grouped into four groups (I, II, III Although some professionals have been using alginate
and IV). Measured quantity of alginate powder and liquid was
used to make samples. The samples were evaluated for
in clinical practice for definitive impressions, problems with
imbibition and syneresis at different time intervals (i.e.10, 20, dimensional stability and unsatisfactory detail reproduction
and 30 minutes) by weighing on electronic analytic balance. are some of the limitations to its use. Alginate impression
The data were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA, post hoc materials have been largely disregarded for precise fixed
test and t-test.
prosthetic rehabilitation in spite of their many advantages
Results: The statistical data revealed that imbibition within four such as ease of use, low cost and hydrophilic nature. Part of
groups of irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression
materials were not significant. Regarding syneresis there was the reason is the clinical disadvantage due to their relative
insignificant difference between the four groups but within the lack of dimensional stability and detail reproduction when
group itself they showed significant difference between them compared with other elastomers.
depending upon the time interval. It was observed that Group I
Unfortunately gain (imbibition) or loss of water
showed significant difference in syneresis at time interval of 10
to 20 minutes. Group II showed significant difference in syneresis (syneresis) in the impression material is accompanied by
at time interval of 10 to 30 minutes. dimensional changes and detail reproduction of clinical
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that four groups of significance.2 In past, researches had been carried out on
irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials showed various properties of alginate impression material and most
different rates of imbibition and syneresis at time interval of 10, of them included the influence of storage and environment
20 and 30 minutes depending upon molecular weight, calcium
concentration and environmental conditions.
conditions. However, none of these investigations
enlightened the role of water content and water fluctuations
Keywords: Irreversible hydrocolloid, Imbibition, Syneresis,
Impression material.
in the impression materials which may occur during
manipulation and in turn lead to dimensional instability and
How to cite this article: Garg S, Mittal S, Bansal S, Kansal G.
A Study on Imbibition and Syneresis in Four Commercially
inaccurate surface detail.
Available Irreversible Hydrocolloid (Alginate) Impression So considering these facts during impression making
Materials. Int J Prosthodont Restor Dent 2012;2(1):1-4. and pouring the present study aims to measure the water
Source of support: Nil gain (imbibition) and water loss (syneresis) in the four
commercially available irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate)
Conflict of interest: None
impression materials.
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Impression making and pouring are critical steps in the
process of producing successful crowns and bridges in oral The materials used in the present study primarily comprised
rehabilitation. Impression materials should reproduce hard the four commercially available irreversible hydrocolloid
and soft tissues around prepared and adjacent teeth in order (alginate) impression materials (Fig. 1). They were Algitex
to obtain biologically, mechanically, functionally and (DPI, Mumbai), Plastalgin (Septodont, Cedex, France),
esthetically acceptable restorations. There are several elastic Zelgan 2002 (Dentsply) and Finndent (Pyrex Polykem)
impression materials available for dental use: Synthetic (Table 1).
International Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry, January-March 2012;2(1):1-4 1
Shushant Garg et al

• Group II: Consists of 20 samples prepared from

Plastalgin irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression
material.
• Group III: Consists of 20 samples prepared from Zelgan
2002 irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression
material.
• Group IV: Consists of 20 samples prepared from
Finndent irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression
Fig. 1: Impression materials material.
The measured quantity of alginate powder was shifted
Table 1: Irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials into premeasured water in clean rubber bowl. Alginate
Brand name Name and address of the manufacturers powder was incorporated into the water by careful mixing
Plastalgin Septodont, 58, Rue du pont de cretail, 94107 with a plaster spatula. Mixing was carried out for 45 seconds
saint-maur-des-fosses. Cedex, France to 1 minute depending upon brand and type of alginate.
Algitex Dental products of India, 9 Wallace street,
Mumbai-400001
Alginate impression material was allowed to set for
Zelgan 2002 Dentsply India Pvt Limited, Plot no. 9, Udyog 5 minutes. Preweighted beaker along with final set alginate
Vihar, Phase -1, Gurgaon, Haryana was weighted on electronic weighing balance. Weight of
Finndent Pyrex Polykem, 114/1-Sai Kirpa, 7-Civil lines,
Roorkee-247667, Uttarakhand, India beaker was subtracted from the final set alginate. Samples
were removed from the beaker after the complete set of
A total of 80 samples (Fig. 2) were made from four alginate. Similarly the samples of different groups of
commercially available irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials were prepared.
impression materials (Table 2). After the preparation of samples, they were tested using
• Group I: Consists of 20 samples prepared from Algitex the electronic analytic balance (Fig. 3). The different values
irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression material. of imbibition were obtained and results were formulated.
Next, the same samples were evaluated for syneresis at
different time intervals (i.e. 10, 20 and 30 minutes) and
results were formulated.

RESULTS
The statistical data revealed that mean values of imbibition
for Group I was greater than Group II, III, IV (Group I > II
>III >IV) but they showed insignificant difference between
them (Table 3).
The statistical data for syneresis revealed that Group I
showed higher mean values than Groups II, III and IV at
time intervals of 10, 20 and 30 minutes but they showed
insignificant difference between them (Table 4).
With multiple comparison (post hoc test) and paired
t- test it was observed that syneresis values within the four
groups itself at different time intervals (i.e.10, 20 and 30
minutes) showed significant difference between them.
Fig. 2: Samples retrieved Group I showed significant difference in syneresis values
at time interval of 10 to 20 minutes. Group II showed
Table 2: Grouping of samples significant difference in syneresis values at time interval of
Sl. no. of groups Samples 10 to 30 minutes respectively.
I 20
II 20 DISCUSSION
III 20
IV 20 Historically, impression materials have been chosen by
Total 80 comparing their tear strength, working and setting time,
Serial number depicts group, i.e. serial I depicts group I color, odor, dimensional accuracy and surface detail

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A Study on Imbibition and Syneresis in Four Commercially Available Irreversible Hydrocolloid (Alginate) Impression Materials

Table 3: Groupwise descriptive statistics—imbibition alginates also is influenced by factors other than syneresis,
Groups N Mean Std. deviation Std. error evaporation, imbibition and proprietary constituents. Slight
Algitex (I) 20 16.200 0.2121 0.0949
differences in accuracy were noted among different brands
Plastalgin (II) 20 16.140 0.1140 0.0510 measured by either a quantitative or qualitative evaluation
Zelgan (III) 20 16.060 0.1817 0.0812 method. However, no single product seemed to noticeably
Finndent (IV) 20 15.960 0.2074 0.0927
outperform the others, all appeared to be comparable with
Total 80 16.090 0.1917 0.0429
reported values and were considered to be within clinically
acceptable limits for accuracy.
Imbibition has direct influence on dimensional stability
of impression. Because of the difficulty encountered in
mixing the impression materials, some of them produce the
impression surfaces with numerous voids. One possible
theory to explain this is that material may be very sensitive
to moisture in air because of its high concentration of
surfactant. In the present study four groups of irreversible
hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials were evaluated
for imbibition and syneresis. The imbibition should be
checked by weighing the specimens 5 minutes after mixing
the alginate powder and liquid. The results indicated that
the imbibition values were insignificant among the four
Fig. 3: Electronic analytic balance irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials.
This may be influenced by calcium concentration or the
reproduction. Selection criteria are now focused on ease of surrounding environment. An increase in the calcium
manipulation, including the availability of mechanical and concentration reduces the degree of swelling.4
automix mixing systems as well as on the wettability, The presence of divalent metallic cation was found to
dimensional stability and accuracy of the materials. induce shrinkage, and believed to be caused by the formation
Accuracy is the ability to reproduce true measured value of additional cross-linking junctions in the gel. Water in an
and dimensional stability is the ability to maintain accuracy alginate gel is either free or bound. The free water is trapped
across time. Impression materials should be accurate and among the filler particles and is susceptible to increase or
remain dimensionally stable until cast in a gypsum product. decrease as a result of evaporation or imbibition. The amount
The processes that influence dimensional stability of of water lost through evaporation may be regained through
alginate is expansion due to water absorption (imbibition) imbibition. Water loss depends upon diffusion kinetics,
and shrinkage due to evaporation of water (syneresis).3 decrease in entropy and change in Gibbs free energy. Further-
Imbibition process depends on storage condition and more, complex osmotic pressure and gradient changes
syneresis is affected by proprietary constituents of the existing between the gel, sol and environment are specific
alginate. The dimensional accuracy of casts produced from for different alginate materials depending upon ingredients.5

Table 4: Groupwise descriptive statistics—syneresis

Groups N Mean Std. deviation Std. error
Syneresis 10 mins Algitex 20 16.1800 0.21679 0.09695
Plastalgin 20 16.0200 0.08367 0.03742
Zelgan 20 15.9400 0.19494 0.08718
Finndent 20 15.8400 0.20736 0.09274
Total 80 15.9950 0.21145 0.04728
Syneresis 20 mins Algitex 20 16.1000 0.21213 0.09487
Plastalgin 20 16.0000 0.10000 0.04472
Zelgan 20 15.8800 0.14832 0.06633
Finndent 20 15.8000 0.23452 0.10488
Total 80 15.9450 0.20384 0.04558
Syneresis 30 mins Algitex 20 16.0800 0.21679 0.09695
Plastalgin 20 15.9400 0.11402 0.05099
Zelgan 20 15.8600 0.15166 0.06782
Finndent 20 15.7800 0.21679 0.09695
Total 80 15.9150 0.20072 0.04488

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Shushant Garg et al

Regarding syneresis all the four brands of irreversible impression materials showed different values at time
hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials showed intervals of 10, 20 and 30 minutes depending upon the
insignificant difference but within the groups they showed composition, molecular weight, calcium concentration,
significant difference between them at different time storage and environmental conditions.
intervals. It was found that Group I showed significant
difference in syneresis values at time interval of 10 to 20 REFERENCES
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Different mechanisms could be responsible for the
collapse of alginate gel, such as competition between ABOUT THE AUTHORS
alginate gelation and phase separation in the biopolymer
mixture or an overassociation of alginate chains at high Shushant Garg (Corresponding Author)
calcium concentration favored by presence of gelatin.7 Professor and Head, Department of Prosthodontics, MM College of
Limitations of study: The impression materials used does Dental Sciences and Research, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India
e-mail: [email protected]
not simulate the oral environment, the irreversible
hydrocolloid (alginate) impression materials used in this
Sanjeev Mittal
study were nonchromatic. The chromatic impression
material may show different rate of imbibition and syneresis Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, MM College of Dental
Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India
depending upon the brand of the alginate and period of time
interval.
Sanjay Bansal
CONCLUSION Senior Lecturer, Department of Prosthodontics, MM College of Dental
Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India
It can be concluded that water content and water fluctuations
in the impression material greatly affects dimensional Gagandeep Kansal
stability and accuracy of dental casts. Imbibition and Senior Lecturer, Department of Prosthodontics, MM College of Dental
syneresis in four groups of irreversible hydrocolloid Sciences and Research, Ambala, Haryana, India

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