title: Flexural properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) resin reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers: a preliminary finding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the flexural properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber.
  
  
  METHODS
  The flexural strength and flexural modulus of three OPEFB fiber-reinforced PMMA were compared with a conventional and a commercially available reinforced PMMA. The three test groups included OPEFB fibers of 0.5 mm thickness, 2.0 mm thickness, and OPEFB cellulose.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All test group specimens demonstrated improved flexural strength and flexural modulus over conventional PMMA. Reinforcement with OPEFB cellulose showed the highest mean flexural strength and flexural modulus, which were statistically significant when compared to the conventional and commercially reinforced PMMA used in this study. OPEFB fiber in the form of cellulose and 0.5 mm thickness fiber significantly improved flexural strength and flexural modulus of conventional PMMA resin. Further investigation on the properties of PMMA reinforced with OPEFB cellulose is warranted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Natural OPEFB fibers, especially OPEFB in cellulose form, can be considered a viable alternative to existing commercially available synthetic fiber reinforced PMMA resin.
authors: Department of Diagnostic and Integrated Dental Practice, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
authors: Jacob
authors: J
authors: John
authors: Shani
authors: S
authors: Ann Mani
authors: Kalpana
authors: K
authors: Palaniswamy
authors: Anand
authors: A
authors: Ramanathan
authors: Abdul Aziz Abdul
authors: AA
authors: Razak
mesh_terms: D028023:Arecaceae; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D018583:Pliability; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials; D002482:Cellulose; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate
keywords: PMMA; flexural modulus; flexural strength; natural fibers; oil palm empty fruit bunch fibers