The effect of acidic treatment of carbon fiber on denture mechanical properties

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to increase the mechanical properties (impact and flexural strength) of acrylic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base resin by incorporated treated and coated woven carbon fiber (WCF). To increase the roughness of fibers, WCF treated with para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), (C7H7NO2) at 3 different concentration treatments (0.10, 0.15, and 0.20 M). In order to make the samples appears with good aesthetic and bonding, WCF was coated with β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) powder with (0.08, 0.10, and 0.12) weight fraction (wi) in addition of using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at 0.01 wi, respectively. After 10 days of water storage at room temperature, the specimens have been tested via using the Charpy effect measuring system and three-point bending tests. The mechanism of interfacial interaction between β-TCP and woven carbon fibers was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Based on the obtained results, when specimens contained treated and uncoated woven carbon fiber with a high concentration of (PABA), the impact and flexural strength were higher than pure sample but have a bad aesthetic. Further, (PMMA) reinforced with coated and treated woven carbon fiber as hybrid composites recorded very high raises in the mechanical properties when the concentration of (PABA) and (β-TCP) was increased, with a good aesthetic.