title: Fracture toughness, compressive strength and load-bearing capacity of short glass fibre-reinforced composite resin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the reinforcing effect of short E-glass fibre fillers on fracture related mechanical properties of dental composite resin with a semi-interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) polymer matrix.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental short fibre composite (FC) resin was prepared by mixing 22.5 wt% of short E-glass fibres, 22.5 wt% of IPN-resin and 55 wt% of silane treated silica fillers using a high speed mixing machine. Test specimens were made bar shaped (3 × 6 × 25 mm3), cylindrical (6 mm length × 3 mm diameter) and cubic (9.5 × 5.5 × 3 mm3) from the experimental FC resin and conventional particulate composite resin (Grandio) as control. The test specimens (n = 8) were either dry stored or water stored (37°C for 30 days) before the mechanical tests. A three-point loading test and compression test were carried out according to ISO 10477 and a static loading test was carried out using a steel ball (Ø 3.0 mm) with a speed of 1.0 mm/min until fracture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experimental fibre composite had a significantly higher mechanical performance for fracture toughness (14 MNm-1.5), compression strength (129 MPa) and static load-bearing capacity (1584 N) than the control composite (2 MNm-1.5, 112 MPa and 1031 N).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The resin with short E-glass fibre fillers and IPN-polymer matrix yielded improved mechanical performance compared to the conventional particulate composite resin.
authors: Department of Biomaterials Science and Biocity Turku Biomaterials Research Pragram, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. sufgar@utu.fi
authors: Sufyan
authors: S
authors: Garoushi
authors: Pekka K
authors: PK
authors: Vallittu
authors: Lippo V
authors: LV
authors: Lassila
mesh_terms: D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D019245:Compressive Strength; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D005898:Glass; D008422:Materials Testing; D053761:Nanocomposites; D016474:Weight-Bearing
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; C009753:fiberglass