Three-dimensional tomography of composite fracture surfaces

The goal of this project was to image the three-dimensional fracture interface of a dental composite with the use of X-ray tomography. With the use of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory, three-dimensional images were obtained of the crack interface of a dental composite material that had been subjected to three different treatments: a control, cycled in air, and cycled in a 50/50 mixture by volume of ethanol and distilled water. The cycle-loaded treatments were for 100,000 cycles at a load between 80 and 100 N at 5 Hz. The crack interface extended over 28 slices for the control, 96 for the air-cycled specimen, and 83 slices for the 50/50 solution cycle specimen. It would appear that the fatiguing of the specimens allowed for an increase in the crack interface as demonstrated by the 3D tomographical analysis. This volume increase in the crack interface is attributed to a separation of the filler fiber from the resin matrix. Three-dimensional tomography provides an excellent method to observe crack interfaces of dental composites subjected to different types of mechanical and environmental conditions.