Effect of procedure on diametral tensile strength of composite resin

The sensitivity of the test for diametral tensile strength to variations in testing procedure was investigated. Composite resin specimens of four different surface roughnesses at both ends of the specimens were loaded at one of three crosshead speeds. The diametral tensile strength values varied between 43.9 and 65.7 MPa. Diametral tensile strength was found to decrease with increasing loading rate, with decreasing roughness of the specimens, and with increasing length of the cylindrical specimens. The significant influence of the surface roughness is suggested to be a result of the correlation between roughness and length of specimens, and not the expression of a true influence on diametral tensile strength of surface roughness of the specimens' ends.