Organic Eluates Derived from Intermediate Restorative Dental Materials

A great number of different types of materials have been used in dentistry as intermediate restoratives. Among them, new resin-based bases have been released in the dental market. The present study focuses on the identification of the organic eluates released from such materials and the study of their surface microstructure in combination with their corresponding elemental composition. For this purpose, the following materials were used:ACTIVA™BioACTIVE-BASE/LINER™, Ketac™Bond Glass Ionomer, SDR™ and Vitrebond™Light Cure Glass Ionomer Liner/Base. Methanolic leachates derived from polymerized materials were analyzed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) was used for the surface monitoring of suitably prepared specimens. The GC-MS analysis revealed the elution of twenty different substances from the three resin-based materials, while none was eluted from the glass ionomer base. The SEM analysis for Vitrebond™ presented small pits, the one for Ketac™Bond presented elongated cracks, while no voids were present for ACTIVA™BioACTIVE-BASE/LINER™ and SDR™. Moreover, the resin matrix of some dental materials may inhibit elements’ accumulation on the surface layers. Particularly, the detected organic eluents may be related to potential toxic effects.

Influence of Long-Term Exposure in the Concrete of FRP Rebars on Bond Characteristics

The current experimental research is devoted to comparison of bond glass fiber reinforced plastic with concrete before and after long-term (quarter year, half year and one year) exposure in the concrete on the air and in the water. The comparative analysis of experimental results was performed.

Effect of Deep Penetration of Interleaf on Delamination Resistance in GFRP

The problem of improving the delamination resistance and toughness of laminate fiber-reinforced composites especially for the drop-off structure is receiving considerable attention with the increasing need and application in industries. A hot melt-bonding process is developed to bond glass fabric laminates and the thermoplastic (TP) polysulfone (PSU) interleaf prior to the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) of laminate composites. The TP interleaf is heated above the glass transition temperature to reduce the viscosity when penetrating deeply into the glass fiber fabric. Mechanical tensile testing is performed to quantify the effects of the penetration depth on composite delamination resistance and composite toughness under different melt-bonding temperatures. Crack paths are observed by optical microscopy to characterize the crack propagation and arrest mechanism. Postmortem high-resolution imaging of the fracture surfaces is used to characterize the toughening mechanism of the TP interleaf reinforcements by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With deep penetration of the interleaf into the fiber bundles, cracks arrested within the penetration region improve the toughness by avoiding the cracks to reach the weak interface between interleaf and epoxy.

Efficacy of Esthetic Retainers: Clinical Comparison between Multistranded Wires and Direct-Bond Glass Fiber-Reinforced Composite Splints

The purpose of this longitudinal prospective randomized study was to evaluate the reliability of two different types of orthodontic retainers in clinical use: a multistrand stainless steel wire and a polyethylene ribbon-reinforced resin composite. Moreover the level of satisfaction of the patient about the esthetic result was also analyzed by means of a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). 34 patients (9 boys and 25 girls, mean age 14.3), in the finishing phase of orthodontic treatment, were selected for the study. Since splints were applied the number, cause, and date of splint failures were recorded for each single tooth over 12 months. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired -test, Kaplan Meier survival estimates, and the log-rank test. Kruskal Wallis test was performed to analyze VAS recordings. Differences between the bond failure rates were not statistically significant. Esthetic result of VAS was significantly higher for polyethylene ribbon-reinforced resin retainers than for stainless steel wires.