title: Flexural strength of In-Ceram alumina and In-Ceram zirconia core materials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study compared the flexural strength of In-Ceram alumina and In-Ceram zirconia systems. The probability of failure of the two glass-infiltrated ceramic core materials was analyzed with and without lamination with Vitadur-alpha porcelain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten uniform beams of core materials as well as 10 beams of laminated core materials were fabricated for In-Ceram alumina and In-Ceram zirconia. The samples were subjected to three-point bending tests. Flexural strength for both ceramic core materials was determined with and without their porcelain laminations. The strength data were analyzed using the Weibull method. Modes of failure for both systems were determined using scanning electron micrography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The strength of the In-Ceram zirconia system was significantly higher than In-Ceram alumina when comparing their core materials with and without porcelain lamination. The failure mode for both systems was predominantly transgranular fracture of alumina platelets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-Ceram zirconia demonstrated higher flexural strength than In-Ceram alumina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, Division of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1078, USA. kchong@umich.edu
authors.forename: Kok-Heng
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wozniak
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry; D019245:Compressive Strength; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D003801:Dental Veneers; D004548:Elasticity; D005898:Glass; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D018583:Pliability; D011176:Post and Core Technique; D011336:Probability; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; C111324:vitadur alpha omega; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D015040:Zirconium; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; C028541:zirconium oxide