Specific Mechanical Properties Research Articles

Agro-Based nanoparticles composite: A novel approach for enhanced ballistic applications

The field of material science has witnessed a paradigm shift with the emergence of agro-based nanoparticles composites demonstrating remarkable potential for advanced applications. Agricultural by-products, such as cellulose, lignin, and chitin, are selected as the base materials due to their abundance, renewability, low adverse environmental impact and acceptable mechanical properties. The developed composites exhibits superior specific mechanical properties compared to traditional materials. This review explores the synthesis, characterization, and application of agro-based nanoparticles in composites development for ballistic purposes. The eco-friendly nature and synthesis of agro-based composite aligns with the current sustainability goals, offering a green alternative to conventional materials being used in ballistic applications. The utilization of agricultural by-products not only mitigates environmental concerns but also promotes the circular economy by repurposing waste materials into high-value products. This review presents a novel approach in the field of ballistic materials by harnessing the potential of agro-based nanoparticles composites. The superior specific mechanical properties make this composite material a promising candidate for ballistic applications, thereby, opening avenues for sustainable advancements in defense and security technologies. Keywords: Agro-based, Nanoparticles, Composites, Green Technology, Ballistic Application.

Intelligent design of nerve guidance conduits: An artificial intelligence‐driven fluid structure interaction study on modelling and optimization of nerve growth

AbstractNerve guidance conduits (NGCs) have been shown to be effective in promoting nerve regeneration in a variety of clinical applications, including nerve defects resulting from a trauma or surgery. By providing a conducive environment for nerve growth, NGCs can help to restore function in nerve‐damaged patients. Challenges include limited repair length, difficulty replicating natural nerve, and rapid substance degradation affecting neurotrophic factor delivery. Considering these issues with mass transfer and fluid structure interaction (FSI) emphasizes the need for enhancing nerve regeneration efficiency. To facilitate nerve growth and deliver appropriate amount of growth factors, these conduits need to be designed with specific topological, mechanical, and biological properties. Additionally, considerations must be given to functional mass transfer FSI design. An intelligent NGC design is proposed as an evaluation‐optimization and AI‐based method. It is found that design parameters significantly impact the physical properties being optimized, including hydraulic pressure, porosity, diffusivity, water absorption, and maximum stress. The mathematical surrogate model obtained from data‐based modelling is used for artificial intelligence (AI) optimization algorithms, differential evolution (DE), and non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA‐II). It is revealed that both DE and NSGA algorithms generate nearly identical solutions, ensuring the robustness of ML optimization. Our results show that NGC with the thickness of 750 μm results in more than 170% augmentation of porosity. Moreover, at a constant ovality, increasing the channel thickness results in more than 39.2% augmentation of the maximum stress. The accurate forecasting of physical characteristics on NGC regarding nerve growth factors enables a hopeful outlook for the future clinical treatment of nerve injuries and advanced tissue engineering.

A novel tooling-free carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) manufacturing method, double point incremental forming (DPIF) with direct electrical curing (DEC)

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are essential in various industries due to their exceptional specific mechanical properties. However, conventional CFRP manufacturing involves significant costs related to moulds, ovens, and autoclaves, rendering it expensive for low-volume production and prototyping. This study introduces a novel method, Double-Point Incremental Forming with Direct Electric Curing (DPIF-DEC), which enables CFRP fabrication without the need for moulds, directly from CAD models, but it is not suited for mass production. This technique, enhanced by the addition of 2 wt.% carbon black to the epoxy resin matrix, improves through-thickness electrical conductivity, allowing uniform and rapid curing. DPIF-DEC demonstrates rapid localised curing, real-time process monitoring, and achieves mechanical properties comparable to traditional methods. Additionally, it reduces energy consumption, presenting a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable solution for low-volume and prototype CFRP production, laying the groundwork for future applications in continuous-fibre composite manufacturing directly from CAD models.

Interactions of a Deformable Wheel with a Deformable Support Surface

The article analyzes methods for solving problems on the drive systems' compacting effect on the support surface (soil). There are analyzed results of studies on the distribution of pressures and tensions in the contact surfaces depending on the propulsors' mechanical properties and the support surface's material. The article also includes an analysis of methods for formalizing contact surfaces and constructing mathematical models for determining the distribution of pressures, deformations, and tensions in the contact surfaces. Numerical methods for solving contact problems that have been used recently are not integral. To obtain such solutions, numerical FEM and DEM methods can be used for a specific problem, i.e. for a problem with a known geometric data source and specific mechanical properties of a contacting body. Based on the studies conducted, it was concluded that to understand the interaction of a deforming wheel with a deformable surface, it is necessary to use an analytical method for solving contact problems in a three-dimensional setting as the most general and productive. It’ll allow us to determine the geometrical dimensions and shapes of the contact spot, determine dependencies of the geometrical parameters of the wheel, rolling resistance, tension-strain state of the contacting surfaces depending on the loading conditions of the wheel, its mechanical properties, and the support surface.

Mechanical and Dynamic Mechanical Characterization of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Casuarina Leaf Bio Fibre

This study investigates the influence of casuarina leaf biofibre on the mechanical and morphological characteristics of epoxy resin composites. Composites were prepared using the hand-layup method, incorporating varying volume fractions of the biofibre (4%, 8%, 12%, 16%, 20% and 24% v/v). Mechanical and dynamic mechanical tests were carried out to assess the impact of the biofibre on the composite material. Mechanical testing revealed significant enhancements in tensile strength of 29.2 MPa, particularly at a biofibre volume fraction of 12% and the composite with the highest impact and flexural strengths measured at 2621 J/m2 and 41.1 MPa, respectively for the 16%v/v fibre loading. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results demonstrated improved viscoelastic properties attributed to the presence of the biofibre. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of tensile tested samples provided insights into interfacial bonding and filler dispersion within the composite matrix. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of casuarina leaf biofibre to enhance specific mechanical properties and viscoelastic behaviour of epoxy casuarina composites. Optimizing the biofibre volume fraction offers possibility to tailor composite properties for specific application requirements. This research advances the development of bio-based composite materials, contributing valuable insights for the creation of sustainable and high-performance engineering materials.

Design, Processing, Testing and Characterizing for Orthodontics Material of Palm-Fibres Based Bio-Nanocomposite

Current research is carried out for newly developed of Bio-CPNC biomaterial nanocomposite for dentistry applications. The developed Bio-CPNC is invented of clay-based polymer CPNC and palm-tree micro-fibers, where CPNC is composed by nanotechnology of HDPE and MMT nanoclay. The research contains the methodology of design, processing, testing and characterization mainly focusing on mechanical and fracture properties, microstructure morphology and testing of thermal effect changes due to surrounding temperature changes. The necessity for finding new biomaterials and new techniques for dental materials for restoration and orthodontics with high biocompatibility with human bones and tissue are the aim for developing this natural bio-nanocomposites to be instead of using ceramics and metals like titanium. The new developed bio-CPNC dental material have special mechanical, thermal and fracture properties to resist the effects of occlusal loads of mastication with sustainability without expecting bad effects with orofacial esthetics and normal lingual ability because it is green. It can be applied for different types of orthodontics like crowns, bridges and dental implants. The study included processing, design, testing and characterization of different properties. The testing included detailed fundamental experimental work for investigation of the changes of mechanical and fracture properties based on fracture mechanics science. The results and comparison are promising where they are showing large enhancement of the mechanical, fracture and thermal properties of Bio-CPNC in comparison to the polymer material which encourage the researchers, dentists, and dental-companies for extra research to stabilize these natural green Bio-CPNC nanocomposite for dental applications with reducing the cost where all materials components are available locally in comparison to use of conventional ceramics materials or expensive zirconia composites.

Analysis of factors influencing GFRP shredding energy consumption and the physical properties of the resulting recyclates

Glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) remains the dominant composite produced globally due to its low cost, high specific mechanical properties and chemical resistance performances. These unique features, however, impose significant recycling challenges for their end-of-life parts. Although there are various recycling technologies available, all of them require the waste GFRP to be reduced in size in order to enhance the recycling process efficiency. In this work, a full factorial design analysis was conducted to identify factors that influenced specific shredding energy consumption, average physical size and resin content of shredded GFRP recyclates. Factors investigated were glass fibre fabric architecture in GFRP wastes (non-crimp and nonwoven), GFRP waste feed rate (10–60 kg/h) and screen aperture of the shredding process (6–20 mm). It was observed that specific shredding energy was not significantly affected by the fabric architecture but could be reduced by opting for larger screen aperture and/or lower feed rate. However, improvement to shredding energy efficiency was achieved if 6 mm diameter screen was selected together with 60 kg/h feed rate. The 60 kg/h feed rate was found to be ideal in reducing oversize recyclates content but did not affect the median particle size of the remaining recyclates, which was found to be influenced by screen aperture and fabric architecture. Resin-rich and fibre-rich fractions were identified from the recyclates. The resin content of the former was found to be sensitive to all the studied factors.

Improving mechanical properties of lattice structures using nonuniform hollow struts

In contrast to constant-strut lattices, the introduction of innovative strut designs has the potential to enhance the mechanical properties of lattice structures. This study presents a Bézier curve-based nonuniform section design for body-centered cubic lattices with hollow struts (BCCH). Periodic boundary conditions are applied to the unit cells, and a finite element (FE) numerical homogenization method is employed to assess their elastic properties. A comprehensive dataset is generated through the FE model, which is subsequently divided into training, validation, and testing sets. The coordinates of the Bézier curve control points serve as inputs to deep learning networks, which are trained on the training dataset. Relative density and elastic properties are treated as two distinct networks, with the validation set utilized to prevent overfitting. The objective function consists of two weighted components: one aims to maximize the relative Young's modulus, while the other ensures that the relative density achieves a specified value. An evolutionary algorithm is employed to optimize the objective function, with variations in the control point coordinates constrained to specific ranges. By leveraging the fast inference ability of the deep learning model, the stiffness and orientation-dependent mechanical properties can be efficiently tailored. Our results demonstrate that the optimized structures demonstrate superior stiffness (+92.8 %) and distributed stress field compared to the benchmark lattice. The design method also enables tailoring of specific mechanical properties, including isotropic elasticity. 3D-printed lattice designs were fabricated and compression tests confirmed agreement with simulation results in terms of stiffness. Additionally, the optimized designs exhibit superior strength (+99.6 %) and toughness compared to the benchmark lattices.

Mechanically Adaptive Metal-Coordinated Electrogel Membranes.

Achieving specific mechanical properties of hydrogels, especially when used as thin films, can be crucial in diverse applications, including tissue engineering and bioelectronics. Here, a novel electrochemical approach for fabricating uniform and robust hydrogel films based on carboxymethyl cellulose cross-linked by Fe3+ ions (Fe-CMC), exhibiting tunable, dynamic properties is introduced. High modulation of the mechanical properties of the film is achieved by applying multiple electrochemical pulses of oxidative voltage during hydrogel deposition. Our study shows also a remarkable effect of the ionic strength on the properties of the electrodeposited hydrogel films. We found that switching from a salt solution to water enhanced the stiffness of the hydrogels, thereby regulating the permeability of the films. These results are supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, showing that an increase in the ionic strength induces a weakening of the Fe-CMC interactions, ultimately affecting the network strength. Finally, the robustness of these electrodeposited hydrogel films enables their delamination from the electrode without any damage, thereby expanding their potential applications as freestanding smart membranes. By providing fundamental insights into the dynamics of metal-coordinated bonds and their response at the macroscopic scale, we have demonstrated the versatility of electrochemical gelation for the fabrication of robust hydrogel films with tunable mechanical properties, which could serve as smart platforms for a variety of biomedical applications.

Bio-Inspired Curved-Elliptical Lattice Structures for Enhanced Mechanical Performance and Deformation Stability.

Lattice structures, characterized by their lightweight nature, high specific mechanical properties, and high design flexibility, have found widespread applications in fields such as aerospace and automotive engineering. However, the lightweight design of lattice structures often presents a trade-off between strength and stiffness. To tackle this issue, a bio-inspired curved-elliptical (BCE) lattice is proposed to enhance the mechanical performance and deformation stability of three-dimensional lattice structures. BCE lattice specimens with different parameters were fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM) technology, followed by quasi-static compression tests. Finite element (FE) numerical simulations were also carried out for validation. The results demonstrate that the proposed BCE lattice structures exhibit stronger mechanical performance and more stable deformation modes that can be adjusted through parameter tuning. Specifically, by adjusting the design parameters, the BCE lattice structure can exhibit a bending-dominated delocalized deformation mode, avoiding catastrophic collapse during deformation. The specific energy absorption (SEA) can reach 24.6 J/g at a relative density of only 8%, with enhancements of 48.5% and 297.6% compared with the traditional energy-absorbing lattices Octet and body-center cubic (BCC), respectively. Moreover, the crushing force efficiency (CFE) of the BCE lattice structure surpasses those of Octet and BCC by 34.9% and 15.8%, respectively. Through a parametric study of the influence of the number of peaks N and the curve amplitude A on the compression performance of the BCE lattice structure, the compression deformation mechanism is further analyzed. The results indicate that the curve amplitude A and the number of peaks N have significant impacts on the deformation mode of the BCE lattice. By adjusting the parameters N and A, a structure with a combination of high energy absorption, high stiffness, and strong fracture resistance can be obtained, integrating the advantages of tensile-dominated and bending-dominated lattice structures.

A New Insight into the Mechanical Behavior of Llzo through Experimental Pillar Compression and Molecular Dynamic Modeling

The transition to safe, high-energy-dense battery designs assumes the implementation of an all-solid-state lithium metal design. Solid electrolytes commonly short due to mechanical failure, where lithium dendrites will protrude into the surface until the anode and cathode are electrically connected. This phenomenon can be suppressed through materials engineering, i.e. designing solid electrolytes with specific mechanical properties. This work, for the first time, presents the measured compressive fracture strength of the oxide-based solid electrolyte. Fracture strength was measured using pillar compression with a flat punch tip and in-situ SEM imaging. Experimental validation of the measured fracture strength was completed using molecular dynamic modeling (MD), exploring the relationship of localized porosity to mechanical properties. Milled pillars (3 μm diameter) in the LLZO solid electrolyte show a linear relationship between the compressive yield strength and Young’s modulus, showing defects (porosity, cracks, voids, impurities, etc.) have a strong relationship on the ceramic’s physical response. MD modeling was used to introduce porosity to show the localized effect of porosity on the Young’s modulus and yield strength, providing strong evidence that localized porosity in the pillars may account for the substantial reduction in compressive yield strength. These insights shed light on the mechanical properties and electrochemical performance of LLZO, offering valuable guidance for the design of high-performance solid-state batteries. Figure 1

Engineering flame and mechanical properties of natural plant-based fibre biocomposites

The escalating global concerns surrounding unsustainable petroleum consumption have fueled interest in natural plant fiber polymer biocomposites (NFPCs) as eco-friendly alternatives. NFPCs offer advantages such as low density, specific mechanical properties, recyclability, and biodegradability. Despite their potential for addressing environmental issues and serving as cost-effective alternatives for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) remediation, challenges exist due to their poor thermal stability and flammability. This comprehensive review delves into efforts to enhance the flame resistance of NFPCs, focusing on flammability testing methods, the impact of flame retardants, and underlying flammability mechanisms. Emphasizing the delicate balance between flame resistance and structural integrity, the review establishes a framework for understanding the thermo-structural response of burning NFPCs. Additionally, it explores sustainability and recycling aspects, offering insights crucial for comprehending fire-induced damage processes in NFPCs, especially in high-performance applications where exposure to high temperatures is inevitable.

Bio-based polyurethane vitrimer with imine bonds: Excellent thermo-mechanical properties and heat recovery

Preparation of vitrimer with excellent performance from biomass feedstock can effectively reduce the waste of fossil fuels and the pollution problem to the environment. In this paper, vanillin (VAN) and 4-amino-3-methylphenol, which are biobased raw materials, were used to prepare the imine-bonded diol AMV-OH in a one-step process, which was incorporated into the main chain of vitrimer polymer, and a series of imine-bonded vitrimer materials AMV-V was obtained by using pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) as a cross-linking agent. The mechanical property analysis, solvent resistance analysis, DSC thermal analysis, DMA analysis and self-repair characterization showed that AMV-V exhibited good thermo-mechanical properties (the highest initial degradation temperature was 246 °C with a Tg value of 17 °C). The results showed that specific mechanical properties could be obtained by adjusting the contents of PETMP and AMV-OH, among which the best tensile properties were obtained at 10 mmol of AMV-OH, with a tensile strength of 8.03 MPa and an elongation at break of 316.79 %. Meanwhile, the AMV-V samples were able to achieve self-healing properties under milder conditions (100 °C, 10 MPa repair for 1 h) and had a high self-healing efficiency (H=94.80 %, R=83.72 %).

Printing resolution effect on mechanical properties of porous boehmite direct ink 3D printed structures

Direct ink writing (DIW) is one of the facile and versatile manufacturing techniques for additive manufacturing of ceramics. 3D printed porous boehmite structures fabricated via DIW can offer significant benefits in terms of their high specific surface area and robust mechanical properties, rendering them suitable for applications like catalysis, adsorption, etc. The characteristics of the boehmite structures produced through 3D printing are significantly influenced by several parameters associated with the DIW process, including but not limited to solids concentration in the ink, resolution, and drying time. In this work, for the first time, we try to optimize the DIW parameters for 3D printing of porous boehmite structures to achieve better shape stability, resolution, and mechanical properties. A shear-thinning boehmite ink was prepared by peptization of boehmite powder in nitric acid and the rheological properties were optimized by varying concentrations of boehmite and nitric acid. Boehmite ink with a solid loading of 37 % and a pH of 4 was found to have the optimal rheological properties and printability. A Menger sponge porous structure was printed by DIW using the optimized ink with different sample sizes and resolutions. The resolution and size were optimized for better shape accuracy of printing and structural integrity. Crack-free boehmite structures were obtained by optimizing the drying time. Boehmite structures printed with higher resolution resulted in enhanced compressive strength and energy absorption, i.e., compressive strength and energy absorption of 0.5 mm resolution boehmite structure is enhanced by 208 % and 144 %, respectively, compared to the 1 mm resolution structure.

An experimental-analytical investigation of particle size effect on the mode I fracture behavior of polymer/graphene nanocomposites

Due to their outstanding specific mechanical and functional properties, the engineering use of polymer nanocomposites and their carbon composites is becoming increasingly pervasive. Current and potential applications include micro- and flexible electronics, energy storage devices, and the use as reinforcement for advanced carbon fiber composites for light-weighting of aerospace and mechanical structures, thereby reducing their fuel consumption and carbon footprint. While a large amount of data and models regarding the effect of the weight fraction of nanoplatelets on the mechanical properties of nanocomposites is currently available in the literature, an aspect often overlooked is the scaling of the fracture behavior and the related particle size effects. Not only is the lack of understanding of size effects in nanomaterials hindering the full exploitation of their properties, it is also a serious issue since the design of large nanocomposite structures or small-scale electronic components requires capturing the scaling of their mechanical properties and developing predictive capabilities. This paper aims at filling this knowledge gap by proposing a novel analytical and experimental approach to investigate particle size effects in nanocomposites at and leveraging the acquired knowledge to improve their fracture properties, from the nanoscale all the way to the macroscale. To this end, crack initiation fracture toughness data for graphene/epoxy nanocomposite are presented as a function of nanoparticle size and weight fraction and compared with model predictions using a novel analytical model based on enhanced crack-tip shielding effect due to the reduced nanoparticle size. Extensive fracture test data are presented for model calibration and model verification.

Boosting polyamide 6: a comparative study on graphene and graphene oxide for improved mechanical and thermal properties

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of incorporating graphene (G) and graphene oxide (GO) on the mechanical and thermal properties of polyamide 6 (PA6) composites. We employ a melt-extrusion process to achieve homogeneous dispersion of varying G and GO loadings (1.0–5.0 wt%) within the PA6 matrix. Notably, 2.0 wt% of both G and GO achieve excellent dispersion, leading to significant enhancements in the degradation temperature and a reduction in the thermal decomposition rate of the PA6 blends. Compared to the neat PA6, these composites exhibit improved (mention specific mechanical properties observed, e.g. tensile strength, modulus). This research establishes a novel and cost-effective approach to improve the processability, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of PA6, making it a valuable contribution for applications demanding high performance.

Polydimethylsiloxane enabled triple-action water-resistant coating with desirable relaxation rate in clear aligner

Clear aligners undergo rapid stress relaxation in warm, moist oral environments, compromising therapeutic effectiveness and longevity of treatment. To develop an innovative multilayer composite material with improved stability and reduced stress release, we have engineered an innovative coating characterized by the surface aggregation of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which imparts a pronounced hydrophobic effect. In addition, the chemically and physically cross-linked structure of the coating reduces the free volume created by molecular chain rearrangement owing to the presence of water molecules, thereby minimizing water penetration into the coating. Concurrently, the coating’s internal structure is enriched with numerous polar functional groups to capture water molecules that penetrate into the inside of the coating. Through combination of these mechanisms, water molecules are effectively sequestered, thereby impeding their penetration into the polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) substrate. The impact of the polydimethylsiloxane content on the triple-action water-resistance mechanisms was thoroughly examined using attenuated total reflection (ATR)-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), water absorption rate, water swelling rate, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The low surface energy cross-linked polyurethane coating is applied to the polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) substrate to create a novel composite material with specific mechanical properties and reduced stress relaxation. The composite material remains stable in simulated oral environment with linear swelling rate of 0.58 % upon water absorption. Additionally, the stress release rate of the composite material within 336 h is notably lower (23.64 %) than that of PETG (62.29 %).

Enhancing the photostability and mechanical properties of poly‐lactic acid (PLA) composites with glutaric acid functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2)

AbstractThe performance of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites reinforced with functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles in rutile and anatase crystalline phases were systematically investigated. The results underline that the incorporation of TiO2, regardless of its crystalline structure, significantly enhances PLA's crystallinity by 85%. Notably, rutile TiO2, when functionalized with higher glutaric acid concentrations, was an effective crystallinity booster by 95%, passing from 20.39% to 39.58% crystallinity for the PLA/TiO2 R20 + 10% system. Furthermore, this research elucidates that the selection between anatase and rutile phases plays a vital role in the photostabilization. Functionalized Rutile TiO2 exhibited exceptional UV resistance, effectively inhibiting photodegradation; for example, after 15 days of exposure, the functionalized systems exhibited a 497.6% improvement for PLA/TiO2 R10 + 5% (22.1 ± 2.5 MPa), while the PLA/TiO2 R10 + 5% showed an 85.1% increase in composite stiffness (35.5 ± 3.5 MPa) after 7 days of degradation, in comparison with pristine PLA (19.2 ± 2.9 MPa). Anatase, conversely, displayed varying effects depending on concentration, acting as a stabilizer at lower levels and a promoter of degradation at higher concentrations. This knowledge enables the precise modifying of PLA composites for specific applications, balancing crystallinity, mechanical properties, and UV resistance for a diverse array of applications.Highlights TiO2 enhances photostability in PLA confirming its potential as a UV stabilizer. Comparing anatase and rutile phase: Unveiling PLA composite dynamics. Glutaric acid on TiO2 enhances PLA composite strength significantly. Optimal acid concentration key to composite performance. Tailored PLA composites balance crystallinity, mechanics, and UV resistance.

Mechanical and Physicochemical Characteristics of a Novel Premixed Calcium Silicate Sealer.

The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate specific mechanical and physicochemical properties of three calcium silicate-based sealers, BioRoot™ Flow (BRF), CeraSeal (CRS) and TotalFill® (TF). Samples were prepared to evaluate different physicochemical and mechanical properties of the tested sealers. These evaluations were accomplished by investigating the pH changes over time, porosity, roughness, flow properties, compressive strength and wettability. The results were statistically evaluated using one-way analysis of variance. All three sealers demonstrated an alkaline pH from 1 h of immersion in water to 168 h. A higher porosity and hydrophily were detected in BRF samples compared to CRS and TF. No significant difference was found between the tested materials in the flow properties. Lower compressive strength values were observed for BRF compared to TF and CRS. Differently shaped structures were detected on the three materials after 7 days of immersion in PBS. The three materials demonstrated a higher solubility than 3% after 24 h of immersion in water (CRS < BRF < TF). The novel premixed calcium silicate sealer (BRF) had comparable physicochemical properties to the existing sealers. The lower compressive strength values could facilitate the removal of these materials during retreatment procedures. Further studies should investigate the biological effects of the novel sealer.

Build Orientation Effect on Bending Fatigue Performance and Impact Toughness of Laser Powder Bed Fusion Manufactured Ti6Al4V Without Heat Treatment

Titanium alloys are highly valued in various industries due to their exceptional qualities. This study examines how the build orientation affects the mechanical and fatigue properties of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) produced Ti6Al4V, without heat treatment. The research shows mechanical properties vary based on build orientation with vertically oriented specimens exhibiting the highest yield and tensile strengths, while vertical orientation excels in ductility, measured through elongation at break. Impact toughness sees variations with horizontal orientation performing the best. However, build orientation has minimal influence on flexural bending fatigue performance. Both diagonal and vertical orientations show similar fatigue limits at around 40 MPa. Dry electropolishing proves to be an effective technique, significantly enhancing fatigue performance with limits stabilizing at about 150 MPa. This study underscores the importance of considering build orientation in PBF-LB manufacturing for specific mechanical and impact properties and the potential of dry electropolishing in improving the fatigue performance of Ti6Al4V components. These findings offer valuable insights for the additive manufacturing industry, aiding in the optimization of Ti6Al4V component production.