Evaluation of mechanical properties of poly (methyl methacrylate) reinforced with glass fibers

Abstract

Introduction. Acrylic resin is a basic material used in preparation of partial and complete dentures. One of the methods of improving mechanical properties of removable dentures is reinforcing acrylic resin with artificial fibers. Aim of the study. To compare mechanical properties of acrylic material reinforced with various types of glass fibers. Material and method. Heat-cured Estetic acrylic resin by Wiedent was used for denture bases. Glass mat, fiberglass fabric, long glass fibers and short glass fibers were used as reinforcing phase of the acrylic resin. In total, forty specimens were prepared, of which eight samples were controls. Research samples consisted of four groups of eight specimens each. Mechanical examinations in three-point bending test were conducted by means of the Zwick 1435 universal testing machine. Results. Specimens reinforced with short glass fibers achieved the highest values of maximum bending force (105.7 ± 8.9 N). It corresponded to the highest values of bending strength (126.8 ± 10.7 MPa). The lowest strength was found for specimens reinforced with glass mat (82.8 ± 11.8 MPa). The highest value of Young’s modulus was obtained for the samples reinforced with fiberglass fabric (3.7 ± 0.8 GPa). The highest values of deflection at maximum bending force were found for the samples reinforced with long glass fibers (4.0 ± 0.6 mm). Conclusions. The highest bending strength parameters were found for specimens reinforced with short and long glass fibers. Short glass fibers are better at improving mechanical properties of acrylic resin than long glass fibers.