Effect of adding zinc oxide nanoparticles supported in 4A zeolite on antibacterial properties and flexural strength of self-curing acrylic resin used in removable orthodontic appliances

Background: Self-curing acrylic resins, mainly composed of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), are widely used to manufacture removable orthodontic appliances. Self-curing acrylic resins have higher porosity than heat-curing acrylic resins leading to a susceptible place for microbial plaque colonization. Due to some of these microorganisms' activities, a very unpleasant odor is emitted from orthodontic base plates, which has adverse effects on patients' cooperation. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of cold-curing PMMA acrylic resin containing ZnO nanoparticles supported in 4A zeolite and evaluating its mechanical properties. Methods: The synthesized nanocomposite ZnO/4A zeolite was added to SR Triplex® Cold orthodontic self-curing acrylic resin powder with 2wt% and 4wt% concentrations. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), MAP analysis, and Dynamic light scattering (DLS) were performed to investigate the sample's characteristics. Direct test method was used to assess the antibacterial properties of the fabricated acrylic samples against three bacterial strains Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella Pnemoniae, and Esherichia coli. Flexural strength was evaluated by a three-point bending test, and One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test were used for statistical evaluation of data. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The addition of ZnO/4A in 2wt% and 4 wt% concentrations lead to more than 99% destruction of colonies in all three types of microorganisms. The mean flexural strength of acrylic specimens containing 2wt% and 4wt% of ZnO/4A significantly lower than the control group. Despite the considerable reduction, all mean values are greater than 50 MPa. Conclusion: The ZnO/4A zeolite nanocomposite due to its potent antibacterial properties and minimal toxicity can reduce the unfavorable odor of orthodontic base plates consequently increases patient cooperation and reaching the desired result. Method: The synthesized nanocomposite ZnO/4A zeolite was added to SR Triplex® Cold orthodontic self-curing acrylic resin powder with 2wt% and 4wt% concentrations. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy(FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), MAP analysis, and Dynamic light scattering (DLS) were performed to investigate the sample's characteristics. Direct test method was used to assess the antibacterial properties of the fabricated acrylic samples against three bacterial strains Streptococcus mutans, Klebsiella Pnemoniae, and Esherichia coli. Flexural strength was evaluated by a three-point bending test, and One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test were used for statistical evaluation of data. The p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The addition of ZnO/4A in 2wt% and 4 wt% concentrations lead to more than 99% destruction of colonies in all three types of microorganisms. The mean flexural strength of acrylic specimens containing 2wt% and 4wt% of ZnO/4A significantly lower than the control group. Despite the considerable reduction, all mean values are greater than 50 MPa. Conclusion: The addition of ZnO/4A zeolite nanocomposite due to its potent antibacterial properties and minimal toxicity can reduce the unfavorable odor of orthodontic base plates consequently increases patient cooperation and reaching the desired result.

Optimal Design of a Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Composite Sandwich Structure for the Base Plate of Aircraft Pallets In Order to Reduce Weight

The application of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite materials instead of metals, due to the low density of FRP materials, results in weight savings in the base plates of aircraft pallets. Lower weight leads to lower fuel consumption of the aircraft and thereby less environmental damage. The study aimed to investigate replacing the currently used aluminum base plates of aircraft pallets with composite sandwich plates to reduce the weight of the pallets, thereby the weight of the unit loads transported by aircraft. The newly constructed sandwich base plate consists of an aluminum honeycomb core and FRP composite face-sheets. First, we made experimental tests and numerical calculations for the investigated FRP sandwich panel to validate the applicability of the calculation method. Next, the mechanical properties of 40 different layer-combinations of 4 different FRP face-sheet materials (phenolic woven glass fiber; epoxy woven glass fiber; epoxy woven carbon fiber; and hybrid layers) were investigated using the Digimat-HC modeling program in order to find the appropriate face-sheet construction. Face-sheets were built up in 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8 layers with sets of fiber orientations including cross-ply (0°, 90°) and/or angle-ply (±45°). The weight optimization method was elaborated considering 9 design constraints: stiffness, deflection, skin stress, core shear stress, facing stress, overall buckling, shear crimping, skin wrinkling, and intracell buckling. A case study for the base plate of an aircraft pallet was introduced to validate the optimization procedure carried out using the Matlab (Interior Point Algorithm) and Excel Solver (Generalized Reduced Gradient Nonlinear Algorithm) programs. In the case study, the weight of the optimal structure (epoxy woven carbon fiber face-sheets) was 27 kg, which provides weight savings of 66% compared to the standard aluminum pallet. The article’s main added value is the elaboration and implementation of an optimization method that results in significant weight savings and thus lower fuel consumption of aircraft.

An experimental and numerical investigation on impact spot welding of metallic plates using gas mixture detonation technique

In this paper, the impact spot welding of metallic plates was investigated both experimentally and numerically using a single-stage gas mixture detonation apparatus. The impact spot welding process was carried out on aluminum alloy and steel materials using rigid steel projectiles. In this process, the mixture of oxygen and acetylene was detonated in a combustion chamber to launch the projectile. The masses of flat- and spherical-nosed projectiles were 270 and 230 g, respectively. The impact velocity was measured in all experiments. The cross-sections of the weld spots were inspired by a scanning electron microscope to assess the quality of welding. For several experiments, wavy interfaces were observed showing there is a good bonding. For numerical simulation of the process, Abaqus/Explicit software was used and the deformation and failure mechanisms of impact spot-welded specimens were further investigated. The Johnson–Cook thermoplasticity model along with its failure model was utilized to predict the behavior of metallic materials. The numerical simulation results were in good agreement with those obtained from experiments in terms of the deformation mode and failure pattern. The propagation of the wave on the surface of the flyer plate was further studied. The results showed that the stress waves start from the center and propagate to the corners of the plate. To numerically evaluate the welding quality, two parameters of the shear stress at the collision point as well as the equivalent plastic strain for the flyer and target plates were obtained in the numerical simulation. The numerical results showed opposite directions of shear stress for flyer and base plates at the contact point, which can be used as proof for good bonding. Besides, the magnitudes of the equivalent plastic strain for both flyer and base plates were higher than those reported values in the open literature that confirms successful welding.

ТЕОРЕТИЧНЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ НАПРУЖЕНО-ДЕФОРМОВАНОГО СТАНУ БАЗОВИХ ПЛИТ УЗРП-16

Theoretical studies of the stress-strain state of base plates, which are the base of the UZRP-16 universal collapsible machines have been done. These machines are used for welding works in machine building industry. The finite element method was applied to solve the problems. Nature of influence of strength and structural parameters on the base plate stress-strain state in operation has been determined, namely: the relations between displacements and stresses arising in the base plates and the bending moment magnitudes have been recorded; the stress-strain state pattern of the base plates has been obtained depending on the place of bending moment application; influence of the conditions for bearing and fastening the plates on their stress-strain state has been investigated; influence of the plate geometric parameters on stress and displacement has been studied; The stress-material and displacement-material relations have been obtained for the plates. Based on the theoretical study results of the base plate stress-strain state, the following have been obtained: stress plots and patterns of deformed surfaces, which are symmetrical with respect to the plate central axes; maximum values of normal and tangential stress components arising in the field of bending moment application; stress on the rectangular base plate surface is 2.1 times higher than the stress on square plate surface under the same conditions of bearing and loading; stresses acting on the plate surfaces and being tensile stresses within the range of 10 to 70 MPa. It was found that the square shape of the plates, according to the stress state, is predominant in relation to the rectangular shape. The optimal condition for bearing is fixing the plates at nine points. For the first time, graphs were drawn for choosing the base plate thickness under action of various operational loads.

Field Investigation on the Effects of Base Plate Material on Experimental Surface Wave Data with MASW

Source characteristics significantly affect the signals generated during seismic testing. Proper source selection plays a major role in data quality and can potentially improve investigation outcomes. This is particularly true for surface wave testing where the goal is to establish the frequency variation of phase velocity. Little research has compared the input energy caused by different base plates when impact sources are used. Consequently, data were collected using the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) method with three base plate configurations (aluminum, aluminum over a rubber mat, and polyethylene) and two different sledgehammers. The variations in signal frequency content and amplitude spectra, energy, and dispersion images were systematically analyzed. There were appreciable differences in the energy introduced by different base plate configurations. Both the aluminum/rubber and the polyethylene base plates led to power spectra increases relative to the aluminum base plate. Subsequently, the aluminum/rubber and polyethylene base plates typically transferred more energy into the subsurface. This was not necessarily the case when the base plates were used on soft surficial soils. The variations in predominant frequency content were also less substantial, though the aluminum/rubber and polyethylene base plates developed slightly lower-frequency content at the expense of higher-frequency components in the dispersion curves. Despite the noticeable differences in energy transfer and frequency content, the base plate materials did not appreciable alter interpretation of the dispersion behavior at the sites given the uncertainty present in the dispersion images. This highlights that the selection of MASW base plate materials can be correspondingly driven by practical considerations such as noise, portability, and durability. Consequently, base plate materials with viscoelastic characteristics are a promising alternative to conventional metallic plates for coupling impact sources in surface wave testing, though care should be exercised when employing them at sites with soft ground conditions.