title: Effects of plasma on polyethylene ﬁber surface for prosthodontic application.
abstract: Plasma technology has the potential to improve the adherence of fibers to polymeric matrices, and there are prospects for its application in dentistry to reinforce the dental particulate composite. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effect of oxygen or argon plasma treatment on polyethylene ﬁbers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Connect, Construct, InFibra, and InFibra treated with oxygen or argon plasma were topographically evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemically by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For bending analysis, one indirect composite (Signum) was reinforced with polyethylene fiber (Connect, Construct, or InFibra). The InFibra fiber was subjected to three different treatments: (1) single application of silane, (2) oxygen or argon plasma for 1 or 3 min, (3) oxygen or argon plasma and subsequent application of silane. The samples (25x2x2 mm), 6 unreinforced and 60 reinforced with fibers, were subjected to three-point loading tests to obtain their flexural strength and deflection. The results were statistically analyzed with ANOVA and the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparison tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SEM analysis showed that oxygen and argon plasma treatments promote roughness on the polyethylene fiber surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis shows that both plasmas were effective in incorporating oxygenated functional groups. Argon or oxygen plasma treatment affected the flexural strength and deflection of a fiber reinforced composite. The application of silane does not promote an increase in the flexural strength of the reinforced composites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxygen and argon plasma treatments were effective in incorporating oxygenated functional groups and surface roughness. The highest strength values were obtained in the group reinforced with polyethylene fibers treated with oxygen plasma for 3 min.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Prótese e Materiais Dentários, Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Silvana Marques Miranda
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Spyrides
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maíra do
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fenômenos de Superfície, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Joyce Rodrigues de
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Araujo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Renata Antoun
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Simão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernando Luis
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Bastian
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001128:Argon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry; D001840:Dental Bonding / Q000379:methods; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry*; D018583:Pliability; D020959:Polyethylene / Q000737:chemistry*; D012016:Reference Values; D012821:Silanes / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D012821:Silanes; D001128:Argon; D020959:Polyethylene; D010100:Oxygen
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