scholarly journals Thermoplastic Disks Used for Commercial Orthodontic Aligners: Complete Physicochemical and Mechanical Characterization

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Daniele ◽  
Ludovico Macera ◽  
Giuliana Taglieri ◽  
Alessandra Di Giambattista ◽  
Giuseppe Spagnoli ◽  
...  

Invisible orthodontic aligners (IOAs) have been introduced in the orthodontic field as an innovative alternative for fixed brackets, in relation to their ability to be easily inserted/removed from the oral cavity without affecting the chewing ability and the aesthetic of the patients. The paper provides a complete physicochemical and mechanical characterization of thermoplastic materials in the form of disks used for commercial IOAs. A wide palette of specific techniques is considered, from tensile tests and dynamic-mechanical analysis, to X-Ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) analyses and water absorption tests. The disks are investigated before and after immersion into staining beverages (red wine, coffee, nicotine and artificial saliva), in terms of colour variations, transparency, and microscopic surface modifications by means of colorimetry, UV-VIS absorbance and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Among all the samples, polyurethane (PU) exhibited the highest crystallinity and the highest values of mechanical and thermal resistance, while the poly(ethylene terephthalate)-glycol (PETG) samples presented better transparency and less ability to absorb water. Moreover, red wine and coffee give noticeable colour variations after 14 days of immersion, together with a slight reduction of transparency.

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Grabow ◽  
Martin Schlun ◽  
Katrin Sternberg ◽  
Nico Hakansson ◽  
Sven Kramer ◽  
...  

Background: The development of endoluminal stents from polymeric materials requires an understanding of the basic mechanical properties of the polymer and the effects of manufacturing and sterilization on those properties. Methods: Pure poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and PLLA containing varying amounts of triethylcitrate (TEC) as a plasticizer (5-10-15%) were studied. The specimens were solution-cast and CO2 laser-cut. Specimen dimensions were adapted to the strut size of polymeric vascular stents. The properties of the PLLA micro-specimens were assessed before and after sterilization (EtO cold gas, H2O2-plasma, beta- and gamma-irradiation). Tensile tests, and creep and recovery tests were carried out at 37°C. Additionally the thermal and thermo-mechanical characteristics were investigated using dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results: The results showed the dramatic influence of the plasticizer content and sterilization procedure on the mechanical properties of the material. Laser cutting had a lesser effect. Hence the effects of processing and sterilization must not be overlooked in the material selection and design phases of the development process leading to clinical use. Altogether, the results of these studies provide a clearer understanding of the complex interaction between the laser machining process and terminal sterilization on the primary mechanical properties of PLLA and PLLA plasticized with TEC.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1383
Author(s):  
Jerzy Korol ◽  
Aleksander Hejna ◽  
Klaudiusz Wypiór ◽  
Krzysztof Mijalski ◽  
Ewelina Chmielnicka

The recycling of plastics is currently one of the most significant industrial challenges. Due to the enormous amounts of plastic wastes generated by various industry branches, it is essential to look for potential methods for their utilization. In the presented work, we investigated the recycling potential of wastes originated from the agricultural films recycling line. Their structure and properties were analyzed, and they were modified with 2.5 wt % of commercially available compatibilizers. The mechanical and thermal performance of modified wastes were evaluated by tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that incorporation of such a small amount of modifiers may overcome the drawbacks caused by the presence of impurities. The incorporation of maleic anhydride-grafted compounds enhanced the tensile strength of wastes by 13–25%. The use of more ductile compatibilizers—ethylene-vinyl acetate and paraffin increased the elongation at break by 55–64%. The presence of compatibilizers also reduced the stiffness of materials resulting from the presence of solid particles. It was particularly emphasized for styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, which caused up to a 20% drop of Young’s modulus. Such effects may facilitate the further applications of analyzed wastes, e.g., in polymer film production. Thermal performance was only slightly affected by compatibilization. It caused a slight reduction in polyethylene melting temperatures (up to 2.8 °C) and crystallinity degree (up to 16%). For more contaminated materials, the addition of compatibilizers caused a minor reduction in the decomposition onset (up to 6 °C). At the same time, for the waste after three washing cycles, thermal stability was improved. Moreover, depending on the desired properties and application, materials do not have to go through the whole recycling line, simplifying the process, reducing energy and water consumption. The presented results indicate that it is possible to efficiently use the materials, which do not have to undergo the whole recycling process. Despite the presence of impurities, they could be applied in the manufacturing of products which do not require exceptional mechanical performance.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1242
Author(s):  
Olga Mysiukiewicz ◽  
Paulina Kosmela ◽  
Mateusz Barczewski ◽  
Aleksander Hejna

Investigations related to polymer/metal composites are often limited to the analysis of the electrical and thermal conductivity of the materials. The presented study aims to analyze the impact of aluminum (Al) filler content (from 1 to 20 wt%) on the rarely investigated properties of composites based on the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. The crystalline structure, rheological (melt flow index and oscillatory rheometry), thermal (differential scanning calorimetry), as well as static (tensile tests, hardness, rebound resilience) and dynamic (dynamical mechanical analysis) mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The incorporation of 1 and 2 wt% of aluminum filler resulted in small enhancements of mechanical properties, while loadings of 5 and 10 wt% provided materials with a similar performance to neat HDPE. Such results were supported by the lack of disturbances in the rheological behavior of composites. The presented results indicate that a significant content of aluminum filler may be introduced into the HDPE matrix without additional pre-treatment and does not cause the deterioration of composites’ performance, which should be considered beneficial when engineering PE/metal composites.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-143
Author(s):  
S. A. Awad

Abstract This paper aims to describe the thermal, mechanical, and surface properties of a PVA/HPP blend whereby the film was prepared using a solution casting method. The improvements in thermal and mechanical properties of HPP-based PVA composites were investigated. The characterization of pure PVA and PVA composite films included tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results of TGA and DSC indicated that the addition of HPP increased the thermal decomposition temperature of the composites. Mechanical properties are significantly improved in PVA/HPP composites. The thermal stability of the PVA composite increased with the increase of HPP filler content. The tensile strength increased from 15.74 ± 0.72 MPa to 27.54 ± 0.45 MPa and the Young’s modulus increased from 282.51 ± 20.56 MPa to 988.69 ± 42.64 MPa for the 12 wt% HPP doped sample. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that at elevated temperatures, enhanced mechanical properties because of the presence of HPP was even more noticeable. Morphological observations displayed no signs of agglomeration of HPP fillers even in composites with high HPP loading.


2016 ◽  
Vol 682 ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Włoch ◽  
Tomasz Skrzekut ◽  
Jakub Sobota ◽  
Antoni Woźnicki ◽  
Justyna Cisoń

Mixed and preliminarily consolidated powders of aluminium and nickel (90 mass % Al and 10 mass % Ni) were hot extruded. As results the rod, 8 mm in diameter, was obtained. As-extruded material was subjected to the microstructural investigations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-ray analysis (XRD). The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) were also performed. The mechanical properties of as extruded material were determined by the tensile test and Vickers hardness measurements. In order to evaluate the thermal stability of PM alloy, samples were annealed at the temperature of 475 and 550 °C. After annealing Vickers hardness measurements and tensile tests were carried out. The plastic consolidation of powders during extrusion was found to be very effective, because no pores or voids were observed in the examined material. The detailed microstructural investigations and XRD analyses did not reveal the presence of the intermetallic phases in the as-extruded material. During annealing, the Al3Ni intermetallic compound was formed as the result of chemical reaction between the alloy components. The hardness of the alloy after annealing at the temperature of 475°C was found to be comparable to the hardness in as-extruded state. Annealing of the material at the temperature of 550°C results in hardness decreasing by about 50%, as the consequence of porosity formation and Al3Ni cracking.


Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohong Chi ◽  
Lu Cheng ◽  
Wenfeng Liu ◽  
Xiaohong Zhang ◽  
Shengtao Li

Polypropylene (PP) contains promising application prospects in thermoplastic cables for high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission because of its outstanding thermal and dielectric properties. However, the problem of poor toughness and space charge has restricted the application of pure PP in HVDC cables. In this paper, polyolefin elastomer (POE) and nano-silica were blended thoroughly and added into a PP mixture by a melting method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the dispersion of POE and nanoparticles. Thermal properties were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile tests. The elastomeric properties of composites were improved as the dispersed POE could transfer and homogenize external mechanical forces. DC breakdown results showed that the fail strength of composite with 10 phr POE and 1 phr nano-silica was obviously enhanced. The pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) results showed that the injection and accumulation of space charge was increased by the introduction of POE, while it was restrained by the collective effect caused by nano-silica filling. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrograms showed that secondary ordered structures existed in the composites of PP, POE, and nano-silica, and that the ordered structure around the nanoparticles contributed to the enhancement of breakdown strength. The mechanical and dielectric properties were modified synergistically, which made the modified PP a propitious insulation material for HVDC cables.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Salminen ◽  
Erno Karjalainen ◽  
Vladimir Aseyev ◽  
Heikki Tenhu

This article introduces butyl acrylate-based materials that are toughened with dynamic crosslinkers. These dynamic crosslinkers are salts where both the anion and cation polymerize. The ion pairs between the polymerized anions and cations form dynamic crosslinks that break and reform under deformation. Chemical crosslinker was used to bring shape stability. The extent of dynamic and chemical crosslinking was related to the mechanical and thermal properties of the materials. Furthermore, the dependence of the material properties on different dynamic crosslinkers—tributyl-(4-vinylbenzyl)ammonium sulfopropyl acrylate (C4ASA) and trihexyl-(4-vinylbenzyl)ammonium sulfopropyl acrylate (C6ASA)—was studied. The materials’ mechanical and thermal properties were characterized by means of tensile tests, dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The dynamic crosslinks strengthened the materials considerably. Chemical crosslinks decreased the elasticity of the materials but did not significantly affect their strength. Comparison of the two ionic crosslinkers revealed that changing the crosslinker from C4ASA to C6ASA results in more elastic, but slightly weaker materials. In conclusion, dynamic crosslinks provide substantial enhancement of mechanical properties of the materials. This is a unique approach that is utilizable for a wide variety of polymer materials.


Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Yuan Jia ◽  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Jiaojiao Miao

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (L-CNFs) composite films with different lignin contents were produced bythe solution casting method. The effect of the lignin content on the mechanical, thermal, and crystallinity properties, and PLA/LCNFs interfacial adhesion wereinvestigated by tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile strength and modulus of the PLA/9-LCNFs (9 wt % lignin LCNFs) composites are 37% and 61% higher than those of pure PLA, respectively. The glass transition temperature (Tg) decreases from 61.2 for pure PLA to 52.6 °C for the PLA/14-LCNFs (14 wt % lignin LCNFs) composite, and the composites have higher thermal stability below 380 °C than pure PLA. The DSC results indicate that the LCNFs, containing different lignin contents, act as a nucleating agent to increase the degree of crystallinity of PLA. The effect of the LCNFs lignin content on the PLA/LCNFs compatibility/adhesion was confirmed by the FTIR, SEM, and Tg results. Increasing the LCNFs lignin content increases the storage modulus of the PLA/LCNFs composites to a maximum for the PLA/9-LCNFs composite. This study shows that the lignin content has a considerable effect on the strength and flexibility of PLA/LCNFs composites.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 1503-1521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yann Lebaupin ◽  
Michaël Chauvin ◽  
Thuy-Quynh Truong Hoang ◽  
Fabienne Touchard ◽  
Alexandre Beigbeder

Flax unidirectional (UD) fabrics and polyamide 11 (PA11) are used to create a 100% bio-sourced composite. The fabrication process is hot press moulding. Different configurations are studied by varying process parameters and composite constituents. Three temperature values (190°C, 200°C and 210°C) are combined with three pressure levels (35, 65 and 100 bars). In addition, two types of flax fabric (A and B) are tested and two types of PA11 (in the form of powder or film) are used. The two forms of PA11 are characterized using differential scanning calorimetry and rheological methods. Ten different composites are then manufactured. They are compared by means of tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Results are correlated with microstructural study: measurements of porosity degree and scanning electron microscopic observations are also performed. Finally, an optimum configuration is determined: the composite flax B/PA11 film manufactured with a temperature value of 210°C and using gradual levels of pressure (25 bars during 2 min, 40 bars during 2 min and 65 bars until the end of cycle). This configuration leads to a Young’s modulus value of 36 GPa and a tensile strength of 174 MPa, with the highest storage modulus and the lowest damping factor values measured by DMA.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1765
Author(s):  
Marta Piątek-Hnat ◽  
Kuba Bomba ◽  
Janusz P. Kowalski-Stankiewicz ◽  
Jakub Pęksiński ◽  
Agnieszka Kozłowska ◽  
...  

Poly(xylitol dicarboxylate-co-diol dicarboxylate) elastomers can by synthesized using wide variety of monomers with different chain lengths. Obtained materials are all biodegradable, thermally stable elastomers, but their specific properties like glass transition temperature, degradation susceptibility, and mechanical moduli can be tailored for a specific application. Therefore, we synthesized eight elastomers using a combination of two dicarboxylic acids, namely suberic and sebacic acid, and four different diols, namely ethanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-buanediol, and 1,5-pentanediol. Materials were further modified by e-beam treatment with a dose of 100 kGy. Materials both before and after radiation modification were tested using tensile tests, gel fraction determination, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. Thermal properties were tested by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Dynamic Thermomechanical Analysis (DMTA) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Degradation susceptibility to both enzymatic and hydrolytic degradation was also determined.


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