Tribological Tests Of Resin-Based Composite Materials: A Design Study

Objective: The objective of our research is to study the tribological behaviour of two types of commercially available resin-based composite materials.Material and method: An original experimental model for tribological studies of dental materials in standard test conditions was applied. Two types of resin-based composite materials indicated for the treatment of dental caries in the distal area were used: a micro-hybrid resin-based composite material (Gradia Direct posterior); packable resin-based composite material (Filtek P60). Metal alloy (Duceralloy C) was used for positive control. Total 18 test samples (n=9 for each material) were subject to: micro scratch resistance test in 1N, 5N, 9N mode; friction resistance "Ball-on-Flat" test at 120,000/240,000 cycles loaded on 50N.Results: When the maximum load was applied, Gradia Direct posterior had higher values of scratch depths (40, 23 mu m) than Filtek P60 (25,13 mu m). The micro-hybrid composite exhibited less wear resistance that decreased with increasing time and friction cycles (13 mu m after 30 min/120,000 cycles; 18 mu m ether 60 min/240,000 cycles). The examined surfaces of the test specimens were visualized by optical microscopy after micro scratch and friction test and by 3D profilometry of all tested samples after 240,000 wear cycles.Conclusion: Results in this field might clarify the mechanisms of wear and provide additional information on the expected changes in the studied materials in clinical practice.