The Effect of Esthetic Fibers on Impact Resistance of a Conventional Heat-cured Denture Base Resin

This study was conducted to observe the changes in impact resistance of a denture base resin reinforced with five types of fiber. E-glass, polyester, rayon, nylon 6, and nylon 6/6 fibers were cut into 2, 4, and 6 mm lengths and added into the resin at a concentration of 3% by weight. Five test specimens for each formulation, as well as control specimens without fiber, were prepared using a mold including a V-shaped notch with 55×10×10 mm dimensions. Impact tests were carried out using a Charpy-type tester. Additionally, surfaces of the impact sections were observed under a scanning electron micro-scope (SEM). Results indicated that impact energy tended to increase with fiber length, and that the highest value was recorded for rayon fiber-reinforced specimens of 6 mm length. E-glass fiber reinforcement produced relatively stable, high values for each length, whereby good interfacial strength between polymer matrix and glass fibers was confirmed by SEM analysis.