Effect of Strengthening Methods on Flexural Properties of Polymethylmethacrylate

Abstract

To investigate flexural strength and flexural modulus of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) under various reinforcement methods. PMMA specimens (10 x 64 x 3.3 mm) were reinforced with 5 different materials: cast metal framework, single metal wire, double metal wires, stainless steel mesh and silanized nano-silica particles. Control group was assigned as the non-reinforced PMMA. Flexural strength and flexural modulus were investigated and statistically analyzed using a one-way ANOVA at 95% confidence interval. Fracture sites of specimen were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The average flexural strength ranged from 100.01 to 130.13 MPa while the average flexural modulus was 2.12 to 3.47 GPa. The highest flexural strength was found in the group reinforced with cast metal framework (130.13 ± 9.92 MPa), followed by double metal wires (126.76 ± 10.94 MPa), single metal wire (117.11 ± 4.72 MPa) and non-reinforced group (110.76 ± 5.70 MPa), respectively. The flexural modulus was also significantly higher in the group reinforced with cast metal framework (3.47 ± 0.53 GPa), followed by double metal wires (2.69 ± 0.21 GPa), single metal wire (2.37 ± 0.23 GPa) and non-reinforced group (2.19 ± 0.13 MPa), respectively. Reinforcement using cast metal framework, double metal wires and single metal wire could increase the flexural strength and flexural modulus of PMMA as PMMA reinforced with cast metal framework had the highest flexural strength and flexural modulus, which was significantly different from the control group.