Mechanical evaluation of five flowable resin composites by the dynamic micro-indentation method

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Measuring the mechanical strength of brittle materials like resin composites presents significant challenges.
• Micro-indentation hardness testing offers a practical approach to evaluate the mechanical properties of small material volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanical properties of five commercial flowable resin composites using dynamic micro-indentation.
• To examine the influence of inorganic filler content on the dynamic hardness and elastic modulus of these composites.

Main Methods:

• Dynamic micro-indentation testing was employed to assess mechanical properties.
• The ashing technique was utilized to determine the weight percentage of inorganic fillers in the resin composites.

Main Results:

• Mechanical properties of flowable composites are influenced by both filler content and the resin matrix properties.
• Dynamic hardness and elastic modulus were successfully measured using the dynamic micro-indentation method.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic micro-indentation is a valuable technique for characterizing the mechanical behavior of dental resin composites.
• Understanding the interplay between filler content and resin matrix is crucial for optimizing composite performance.