Materials Science Forum, Vol.426-4, 2327-2332, 2003
Shape recovery of Ni-Ti alloy fiber-reinforced denture base resin by smart repair process
Ni-Ti shape memory alloy fiber-reinforced denture base resin matrix smart composites were developed as a new denture base material for a "smart denture". Composite plate specimens were produced, and changes in their shape and strength after repair were evaluated. The shape recovery process for repair was carried out smartly by a simple process of heating at 80 degreesC for 10 min. The shape change of the composite after "smart repair" was not significantly different from that of the resin specimen repaired on a planar plate. Because the shape change of the resin should be minimized, the shape change of the composite after smart repair was evaluated to be quite small. The strength of the composite after repair was also not significantly different from that of the resin. These results indicated that the smart repair process of smart dentures is effective for easy and accurate repair.