title: Annealing as a mechanism of increasing wear resistance of composites.
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the influence of a short-term exposure to heat (125 degrees C) on the wear resistance of composites. Both light- and chemically initiated materials improved by 20-60%. However, the improvement was also attained in the course of time if the materials had not been exposed to heat. The heat-induced improvement could not be explained by a continuation of polymerization but rather by stress relief, which is common for annealing processes. Polymerization shrinkage stresses, initially concentrated mainly around the filler particles, became more homogeneously distributed by the heat treatment. The long-term improvement of the non-heat-treated materials was based on the same mechanism, but proceeded more gradually.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Materials Science ACTA, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Gee
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pallav
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D003188:Composite Resins; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D006244:Hardness; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008422:Materials Testing; D008669:Metallurgy; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins