Influence of Tip Diameter and Light Spectrum of Curing Units on the Properties of Bulk-Fill Resin Composites

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different light-curing units (LCUs) with distinct tip diameters and light spectra for activating bulk-fill resins. Materials and Methods The specimens (n = 10) were made from a conventional composite (Amaris, VOCO) and bulk-fill resins (Aura Bulk Fill, SDI; Filtek One, 3M ESPE; Tetric Bulk Fill, Ivoclar Vivadent) with two diameters, 7 or 10 mm, × 2 mm thickness. Following 24 hours of specimen preparation, the degree of conversion (DC) was evaluated using the Fourier-transform infrared unit. Knoop hardness (KHN) readings were performed on the center and periphery of the specimens. Data were assessed for homoscedasticity and submitted to one-way and three-way analysis of variance followed by the Tukey's and Dunnett's tests, depending on the analysis performed (α = 0.05). Results LCUs and specimen diameter significantly affected the DC. The Tetric Bulk Fill provided increased DC results when light-cured with Valo (54.8 and 53.5%, for 7 and 10 mm, respectively) compared with Radii Xpert (52.1 and 52.9%, for 7 and 10 mm, respectively). No significant differences in KHN results were noted for the conventional resin composite (Amaris) compared with LCUs (p = 0.213) or disc diameters (p = 0.587), but the center of the specimen exhibited superior KHN (p ≤ 0.001) than the periphery. Conclusion The light spectrum of the multipeak LCU (Valo) significantly increased the DC and KHN of the bulk-fill resin composite with additional initiator to camphorquinone (Tetric Bulk Fill) compared with the monowave LCU (Radii Xpert). The tip size of the LCUs influenced the performance of some of the resin composites tested.

Effect of Material Type and Minimum Diameter of Specimens on the Fatigue Life

The obstacle faced during the fatigue test is the waiting time which is quite long and inefficient, especially for test specimens made of ductile metal with waiting times of up to several days. The research method includes reducing the specimen radius to obtain a flexural stress approaching 400 MPa which was originally 229 MPa from a radius of 254 mm to 240 mm with the results of turning the original specimen obtained a minimum diameter of 8.6 mm is reduced to 7.3 mm at a maximum loading of 10 kg. Results of the research are brass specimens C3604BD type with a minimum diameter of 8.6 mm at a flexural stress of 298 MPa showing a fatigue life of 2455546 cycles with a test duration of 1754 minutes and a minimum specimen diameter of 7.3 mm at a flexural stress of 299 MPa showing a fatigue life of 684311 cycles with a test duration of 489 minutes which means that with a minimum specimen diameter of 7.3 mm the fatigue life is 3.59 times shorter than a minimum specimen diameter of 8.6 mm. Meanwhile, for aluminium AA1101 type with a minimum specimen diameter of 7.3 mm at a flexural stress of 182 MPa, the fatigue life is 422117 cycles with a test duration of 278 minutes and with a minimum specimen diameter of 8.6 mm at a flexural stress of 183 MPa, the fatigue life is 389232 cycles with a test duration of 302 minutes which means that with a minimum specimen diameter of 7.3 mm the fatigue life is 1.05 times shorter than the minimum specimen diameter of 8.6 mm or almost the same.

Prediction of buckling force in hourglass-shaped specimens

It is important to avoid buckling during low-cycle fatigue testing. The buckling load is dependent on the specimen shape, material properties, and the testing machine. In the present investigation of hourglass-shaped specimens the importance of the diameter to radius of curvature is examined. Diameters of 5 and 7 mm are examined with a ratio of radius of curvature to diameter of 4, 6, and 8. The machine used is an Instron 8800 with elongated rods for a climate chamber. This leads to a reduced stiffness of the machine during compression testing. A finite element model (in Abaqus) is developed to identify the critical buckling force. For hourglass-shaped specimens, buckling means onset of sideways movement, without a drop in the applied load which is typical for conventional Euler buckling. The onset of sideways movement is identified experimentally by analysis of the data from extensometer and the load cell. This model is verified by experiments and fits within 0.6 to − 11% depending on the specimen diameter and diameter to radius of curvature ratio. The smallest deviations are obtained for the 7-mm-diameter specimen with deviation varying from 0.6 to − 3.3% between the model and the experiments. The current investigation is done with a commercially available hot rolled structural steel bar of Ø16 mm.

Laparoscopic Specimen Extraction in Vitro: Preliminary Experience

Background: The last procedure of the surgeon in laparoscopic surgery is to extract the specimen with the smallest incision. This experiment aimed to explore the maximum diameter of specimens that can be extracted with different adjuvant incision length and shape by in vitro physical experiments.Materials and Methods: We use the abdominal wall with the muscle layer of pigs was fixed on a square wooden frame to simulate the abdominal wall of humans. Then, making specimen extraction port: circular, inverted Y-shaped and straight-line incisions with different sizes and lengths respectively，and making different sizes and species specimens. These specimens are extracted from different incisions by force device. Measure the tension value (N), and record the length or diameter of the smallest auxiliary incision that the largest sample diameter can pass through. This experiment provides us with preliminary experience on how to choose the appropriate specimen extraction auxiliary incision according to the specimen diameter in surgery. Results: The maximum diameters of specimens that can be extracted with circular ostomy diameters of 2.4, 2.7 and 3.3 cm are 4.0, 4.5 and 6.0 cm, respectively. Specimens with diameters of 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0 cm could be extracted with inverted Y-shaped incisions with the length around umbilicus of 1 cm and extension length of 1.0, 3.0, 4.0 cm, respectively. Moreover, these same specimens could be extracted with inverted Y-shaped incisions with the length around umbilicus of 2 cm and extension length of 0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 cm, respectively. In straight-line incisions, tough tissue specimens (made from chicken gizzard) with diameters of 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 cm could be removed from incisions with diameters of 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 cm, respectively. Conclusion: Along with preoperative imaging, surgical planning and trocar position, the shape and length of adjuvant incisions can be used to improve the extraction of specimens via laparoscopy.

Influence of specimen diameter size on the deformation behavior and short-term strength range of an aluminum alloy

Components often manifest varied local behavior due to their manufacturing process. In order to be able to determine local material behavior in the best possible way, it is necessary to take specimens from the area under investigation. Due to constant developments in efficiency and lightweight construction, it is difficult to produce standard-compliant specimens from the examined area in a component. For this reason, specimens with smaller dimensions are often taken. Through the investigation of the influence of size in the area of high-cycle fatigue, it is well known that the size of a test specimen influences its lifespan. Not so much is known about the influence of specimen size on the behavior of material in the field of low-cycle fatigue (LCF). In this work, tensile, LCF and thermomechanical fatigue tests are performed using AlCu4PbMgMn with varied specimen geometries, the smallest test diameter being 3 mm, the largest 7.5 mm. The results of the tensile test show that the mean values of tensile strength for both diameters is within one percent. At LCF load and thermomechanical load, there are no or only slight deviations in deformation behavior. The low cycle fatigue behavior at RT is identical for both diameters. However, the results show that stress-strain behavior is the same for both test diameters, and fatigue behavior is the same, except in tests with high strain amplitudes and temperature.

Strain Control Correction for Fatigue Testing in LWR Environments

During strain-controlled fatigue testing of solid bar specimens in a LWR environment within an autoclave, it is common practice to avoid the use of a gauge length extensometer to remove the risk of preferential corrosion and early crack nucleation from the extensometer contact points. Instead, displacement- or strain-control is applied at the specimen shoulders, where the cross-sectional area of the specimen is higher and so surface stress levels are lower. A correction factor is applied to the control waveform at the shoulder in order to achieve approximately the target waveform within the specimen gauge length. The correction factor is generally derived from trials conducted in air by cycling samples with extensometers attached to both the shoulders and the gauge length; typically, the average ratio between the strains or the ratio at half-life in these locations is taken to be the correction factor used in testing. These calibration trials may be supplemented by Finite Element Analysis modelling of the specimens, or by other analysis of results from the calibration trials. Within the INCEFA+ collaborative fatigue research project, a total of six organizations are performing fatigue testing in LWR environments within an autoclave. Of these, one organization is performing tests in an autoclave using extensometers attached to both the specimen shoulders and the specimen gauge length. Therefore the INCEFA+ project provides a unique opportunity to compile and compare methods of shoulder control correction used by different organizations when fatigue testing in LWR environments. This paper presents the different methods of correcting shoulder control waveforms used by partners within the INCEFA+ project, compares the correction factors used, and assesses sensitivities of the correction factor to parameters such as specimen diameter. In addition, correction factors for air and PWR environments are compared. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made for future fatigue testing in LWR environments within autoclaves.

Fatigue Assessment of Dented Pipeline Specimens

This paper reports results from an investigation program launched with the objective of assessing fatigue lives of actual pipeline specimens with dents. Nine pipeline 3m-length specimens were constructed with low carbon steel pipes API 5L Gr. B. The specimens had 323mm diameter and 6.35mm wall thickness. The specimens were loaded with hydrostatic internal pressure pulsating at a 1Hz rate. Six specimens had 15% deep longitudinal smooth dents (ratio between dent depth and outside specimen diameter) and three specimens had complex longitudinal 6% deep dent shapes. Nominal and hot spot stresses and strains were determined by experimental techniques (Fiber Optic Bragg Strain Gages - FBSG, and Digital Image Correlation - DIC) and by a numerical technique (Finite Elements - FE). The stresses and strain fields determined from nominal loading conditions or from experimental measurements and from the finite element analyses were combined with different fatigue assessment methods. The estimated lives were compared with the actual test results. The fatigue assessment methods encompassed those proposed by the Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual (PDAM) and by the API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Level 2 methods described in parts 12 (Dents) and 14 (Fatigue). Most of the predicted lives exhibited high level of conservatism. A Level 3 method that employed experimentally and numerically determined hot-spot strains in conjunction with a fatigue strain-life equation proposed by Coffin-Manson predicted fatigue lives very close to the test results.

Minimum Required Distance of Strain Gauge from Specimen for Measuring Transmitted Signal in Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Test

The minimum required distance of the strain gauge on the transmitted bar of the split Hopkinson bar has been determined from the position of a metallic specimen via an explicit finite element analysis. The minimum required distance was determined when the strain-time profiles at r = 0, 0.5Ro and 1.0Ro, were coincident (r is the radial position and Ro is the radius of the bar.). The determined minimum required distance, f(x), is presented as a function of the relative specimen diameter to that of the bar (x = D/D0): j(x) = - 0.9385.x3 + 0.6624.x2 - 0.7459.x + 1.4478 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.9). This result demonstrates the Saint-Venant's principle of rapid dissipation of localized stress in transient loading. The result will be useful for the design/modification of the pseudo-one-dimensional impact instruments that utilise a stress pulse transmitted through the specimen. The result will also allow one to avoid unnecessarily remote strain gage position from the specimen.