Prediction of failure and fracture mechanisms of polymeric composites using finite element analysis. Part 1:Particulate filled composites

Micro-mechanical analysis of polymeric composites provides a powerful means for the quantitative assessment of their bulk behavior. In this paper we describe a robust finite element model (FEM) for the micro-structural modeling of the behavior of particulate filled polymer composites under external loads. The developed model is applied to simulate stress distribution in polymer composites containing particulate fillers. Quantitative information about the magnitude and location of maximum stress concentrations obtained from these simulations is used to predict the dominant failure and crack growth mechanisms in these composites. The model predictions are compared with the available experimental data and also with the values found using other methods reported in the literature. These comparisons show the range of the validity of the developed model and its predictive potential.

Compressive strength of dental composites photo-activated with different light tips

The aim of this study was to evaluate the compressive strength of microhybrid (Filtek™ Z250) and nanofilled (Filtek™ Supreme XT) composite resins photo-activated with two different light guide tips, fiber optic and polymer, coupled with one LED. The power density was 653 mW cm -2 when using the fiber optic light tip and 596 mW cm-2 with the polymer. After storage in distilled water at 37 ± 2 °C for seven days, the samples were subjected to mechanical testing of compressive strength in an EMIC universal mechanical testing machine with a load cell of 5 kN and speed of 0.5 mm min-1. The statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA with a confidence interval of 95% and Tamhane's test. The results showed that the mean values of compressive strength were not influenced by the different light tips (p > 0.05). However, a statistical difference was observed (p < 0.001) between the microhybrid composite resin photo-activated with the fiber optic light tip and the nanofilled composite resin. Based on these results, it can be concluded that microhybrid composite resin photo-activated with the fiber optic light tip showed better results than nanofilled, regardless of the tip used, and the type of the light tip did not influence the compressive strength of either composite. Thus, the presented results suggest that both the fiber optic and polymer light guide tips provide adequate compressive strength to be used to make restorations. However, the fiber optic light tip associated with microhybrid composite resin may be an interesting option for restorations mainly in posterior teeth. © 2013 Astro Ltd.

Roughness and morphology of composites: influence of type of material, fluoride solution, and time

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Electrical treeing in polyethylene: effect of nano fillers on tree inception and growth

Treeing in polyethylene based nanocomposite samples as well as unfilled polyethylene samples were studied using 50Hz ac voltage. The tree inception voltage was observed for different types of samples. The tree initiation time as well as the tree growth patterns at a fixed ac voltage have also been studied. The results show that there is an improvement in tree inception voltage with nano filler loading in polyethylene. Different tree growth patterns for both the unfilled polyethylene and the polyethylene nanocomposites have been observed. A slower tree growth was observed in polyethylene nanocomposites. The partial discharge characteristics of unfilled and nano filled polyethylene samples during the electrical tree growth period was also studied. Decrease in PD magnitude as well as in the number of pd pulses with electrical tree growth duration in polyethylene nanocomposites has also been observed. The possible reasons for the improvement in electrical tree growth and PD resistance with the addition of nano fillers are discussed.

Fabrication and mechanical property of carbon nanotube/metal composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are known to exhibit extraordinary mechanical properties such as high tensile strength, the highest Young modulus etc. These, combining with their large aspect ratio, make CNTs an excellent additive candidate to complement or substitute traditional carbon black or glass fiber fillers for the development of nano-reinforced composites. CNTs have thus far been used as additives in polymers, ceramics and metals to be pursued on practical applications of their composites. © 2010 IEEE.

Microwave dielectric properties of PTFE/rutile nanocomposites

The effects of nano-size rutile filler on the microwave dielectric properties of PTFE composites were investigated and the results were compared with that of micron size rutile filled composites. Nano-size rutile powder was prepared through sol–gel route and the filled PTFE composites were fabricated through SMECH process. Different characterization techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, SEM, BET, TEM and TG/DSC were employed to analyze the nature of ceramic filler. The dielectric properties of filled composites were evaluated at microwave frequency region using waveguide cavity perturbation technique. Different theoretical models have been employed to predict the variation of dielectric constant with respect to filler loading. The moisture absorption characteristics of nano-rutile filled PTFE composites were measured as per IPC-TM-650 2.6.2 standards. Composites show high dielectric constant at X-band frequency region with relatively high loss tangent compared to micron size counterpart.

Desgaste e rugosidade superficial de um cimento de ionômero de vidro nanoparticulado

To compare the abrasion wear resistance and superficial roughness of different glass ionomer cements used as restorative materials, focusing on a new nanoparticulate material. Material and Method: Three glass ionomer cements were evaluated: Ketac Molar, Ketac N100 and Vitremer (3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA), as well as the Filtek Z350 (3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA). For each material were fabricated circular specimens (n=12), respecting the handling mode specified by the manufacturer, which were polished with sandpaper disks of decreasing grit. The wear was determined by the amount of mass (M) lost after brushing (10,000 cycles) and the roughness (Ra) using a surface roughness tester. The difference between the Minitial and Mfinal (ΔM) as well as beroughness of aesthetic restorative materials: an in vitro comparison. SADJ. 2001; 56(7): 316-20. 11. Yip HK, Peng D, Smales RJ. Effects of APF gel on the physical structure of compomers and glass ionomer cements. Oper. Dent. 2001; 26(3): 231-8. 12. Ma T, Johnson GH, Gordon GE. Effects of chemical disinfectants on the surface characteristics and color of denture resins. J Prosthet Dent 1997; 77(2): 197-204. 13. International organization for standardization. Technical specification 14569-1. Dental Materials – guidance on testing of wear resistance – PART I: wear by tooth brushing. Switzerland: ISO; 1999. 14. Bollen CML, Lambrechts P, Quirynen M. Comparison of surface roughness of oral hard materials to the threshold surface roughness for bacterial plaque retention: a review of the literature. Dent Mater.1997; 13(4): 258-9. 15. Kielbassa AM, Gillmann C, Zantner H, Meyer-Lueckel H, Hellwig E, Schulte-Mönting J. Profilometric and microradiographic studies on the effects of toothpaste and acidic gel abrasivity on sound and demineralized bovine dental enamel. Caries Res. 2005; 39(5): 380-6. 16. Tanoue N, Matsumara H, Atsuta M. Wear and surface roughness of current prosthetic composites after toothbrush/dentifrice abrasion. J Prosthet Dent. 2000; 84(1): 93-7. 17. Heath JR, Wilson HJ. Abrasion of restorative materials by toothpaste. J Oral Rehabil. 1976; 3(2): 121-38. 18. Frazier KB, Rueggeberg FA, Mettenburg DJ. Comparasion of wearresistance of class V restorative materials. J Esthet Dent. 1998; 10(6): 309-14. 19. Momoi Y, Hirosakil K, Kohmol A, McCabe JF. In vitro toothebrushdentifrrice abrasion of resin-modified glass ionomers. Dent Mater. 1997; 13(2): 82-8. 20. Turssi CP, Magalhães CS, Serra MC, Rodrigues Jr.AL. Surface roughness assessment of resin-based materials during brushing preceded by pHcycling simulations. Oper Dent. 2001; 26(6): 576-84. 21. Wang L, Cefaly DF, Dos Santos JL, Dos Santos JR, Lauris JR, Mondelli RF, et al. In vitro interactions between lactic acid solution and art glassionomer cements. J Appl Oral Sci. 2009; 17(4): 274-9. 22. Carvalho FG, Fucio SB, Paula AB, Correr GM, Sinhoreti MA, PuppinRontani RM. Child toothbrush abrasion effect on ionomeric materials. J Dent Child (Chic). 2008; 75(2): 112-6. 23. Coutinho E, Cardoso MV, De Munck J, Neves AA, Van Landuyt KL, Poitevin A, et al. Bonding effectiveness and interfacial characterization of a nano-filled resin-modified glass-ionomer. Dent Mater. 2009; 25(11): 1347-57. tween Rainitial and Rafinal (ΔRa) were also used for statistical analysis (α=0.05). Results: Except for the composite, significant loss of mass was observed for all glass ionomer cements and the ΔM was comparable for all of them. Significant increase in roughness was observed only for Vitremer and Ketac N100. At the end of the brushing cycle, just Vitremer presented surface roughness greater than the composite resin. Conclusion: All glass ionomer cements showed significant weight loss after 10,000 cycles of brushing. However, only Vitremer showed an increase of roughness greater than the Z350 resin, while the nanoparticulate cement Ketac N100 showed a smooth surface comparable to the composite.

Effects of age condition on the distribution and integrity of inorganic fillers in dental resin composites

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evolution of nanocrystalline BaBi2Nb2O9 in Li2B4O7 BaO-Bi(2)O3-Nb2O5 glass system

Transparent glasses and glass nano crystal composites (GNCs) of various compositions in the system (100 - x)Li2B4O7-x (BaO-Bi2O3-Nb2O5) (where x = 10, 20, and 30 in molar ratio) were fabricated via splat-quenching technique. The glassy nature of the as quenched samples was established by differential thermal analyses. X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies confirmed the formation of layered perovskite BBN via a fluorite like phase. TEM studies revealed the presence of 10 nm sized spherical crystallites of fluorite like BaBi2Nb2O9 phase in the glassy matrix of Li2B4O7 (LBO). The influence of composition on the dielectric and the optical properties (transmission, optical band gap) of these samples has been investigated. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrical Treeing and the Associated PD Characteristics in LDPE Nanocomposites

Treeing in low density polyethylene (LDPE) filled with alumina nanocomposite as well as unfilled LDPE samples stressed with 50 Hz ac voltage has been studied. The tree inception voltage was monitored for various samples with different nano-filler loadings and it is seen that there is an increase in tree inception voltage with filler loading in LDPE. Treeing pattern and tree growth duration for unfilled and nano-filled LDPE samples have also been studied. Different tree growth patterns as well as a slower tree growth with increase in filler loading in LDPE nanocomposites were observed. The observed slow propagation of tree growth with filler loading is attributed to the changes in the polymer crystalline morphology induced by the presence of nano-particles and the greater ability of the nanoparticles to resist discharge growth. SEM studies carried out to determine the morphology of unfilled and nano-filled LDPE showed an increase in lamellae packing in LDPE nanocomposites and this increased lamellar density leads to a reduction in the tree propagation rate. Partial discharge activities were also monitored during the electrical tree growth in both the unfilled and the nano-filled LDPE samples and were found to be significantly different. PD magnitude and the number of PD pulses per cycle were found to be lower with electrical tree growth duration in LDPE nanocomposites as compared to unfilled LDPE. The same trend was seen with increased filler loading also.

Micro-mechanical bond strength tests for the assessment of the adhesion of GIC to dentine

Background. The aim of this study is to critically evaluate the bond strength (BS) of Glass-Ionomer Cements (GIC) to dentine with microtensile (mu TBS) and microshear (mu SBS) BS tests by assessing their rankings and failure patterns. Methods. Samples were made on flat dentine surfaces and submitted to mTBS and mSBS. The materials used were: high viscosity GIC (Ketac (TM) Molar Aplicap-KM), resin-modified GIC (Fuji II-FII), nano-filled resin-modified GIC (Ketac (TM) N100-N100) and an etch-and-rinse adhesive system with a composite resin (Adper (TM) Single Bond 2 and Z100 (TM)-Z100). All tests were performed with a Universal Testing Machine (24 h water storage, crosshead speed of 1 mm/min). Debonded surfaces were examined with a stereomicroscope (x40) to identify the failure mode. The data was analyzed with two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05) and LSD test. Results. Means were statistically different regarding the tests and materials, indicating that values for BS obtained for each material depend on the test performed. Failure analysis revealed that failures produced by mTBS were mainly cohesive for KM and FII. mu SBS failures were mainly adhesive or mixed for all materials. For the mTBS, the rank was Z100 > FII > KM = N100, whereas for the mSBS it was Z100 = FII = KM > N100. Conclusion: It may be concluded that distinct micro-mechanical tests present different failure patterns and rankings depending on the material to be considered.

Electromagnetic Shielding Properties of Nano Carbon Filled Silicone Rubber Composites

Electromagnetic shielding has become important for various electrical systems because of the electromagnetic pollution caused by the large scale use of electronic devices operating at different frequencies and power levels. Traditionally used metallic shields lack flexibility and hence may not be the right choice for certain applications. In such situations, filled polymer composites provide a good alternative for electromagnetic shielding applications. Being polymer based, they are easy to manufacture and can be molded into the required geometry and shape. In this study, the shielding properties of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers filled silicone rubber are studied. The conductivity and the shielding effectiveness of the composites were measured at different filler loadings. Both the fillers are able to make the base polymer conducting even at very low filler loadings. The conductivity and the shielding effectiveness improved when the filler loading was above the percolation threshold.

Graphene and graphitic derivative filled polymer composites as potential sensors

Graphite and numerous graphitic-derived micro- and nano-particles have gained importance in current materials science research. These two-dimensional sheets of sp(2)-hybridized carbon atoms remarkably influence the properties of polymers. Graphene mono-layers, graphene oxides, graphite oxides, exfoliated graphite, and other related materials are derived from a parental graphite structure. In this review, we focus primarily on the role of these fillers in regulating the electrical and sensing properties of polymer composites. It has been demonstrated that the addition of an optimized mixture of graphene and or its derivatives to various polymers produces a record-high enhancement of the electrical conductivity and achieved semiconducting characteristics at small filler loading, making it suitable for sensor manufacture. Promising sensing characteristics are observed in graphite-derived composite films compared with those of micro-sized composites and the properties are explained mainly based on the filler volume fraction, nature and rate of dispersion and the filler polymer interactions at the interface. In short, this critical review aims to provide a thorough understanding of the recent advances in the area of graphitic-based polymer composites in advanced electronics. Future perspectives in this rapidly developing field are also discussed.

Durability performances of concrete with nano-silica

This study investigated the durability properties of concrete containing nano-silica at dosages of 0.3% and 0.9%, respectively. Due to the nano-filler effect and the pozzolanic reaction, the microstructure became more homogeneous and less porous, especially at the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), which led to reduced permeability. Tests on the durability properties verified the beneficial effects of nano-silica. The channels for harmful agents through the cement composites were partially filled and blocked. The pore size distribution also indicated that the large capillary pores were refined by the nano-silica, due to the combined contribution of the nano-filler effect and the pozzolanic reaction.