Proof testing to improve the reliability and lifetime of ceramic dental prostheses.

OBJECTIVES: Ceramic dental prostheses exhibit increasing failure rates with service time. In particular, veneered crowns and bridges are susceptible to chipping and other fracture modes of failure. The purpose of this manuscript is to introduce a computational methodology and associated software that can predict the time-dependent probability of failure for ceramic prostheses and subsequently design proof test protocols to significantly enhance their reliabilities and lifetimes. METHODS: Transient reliability and corresponding proof testing theories are introduced. These theories are coded in the Ceramic Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures (CARES/Life) code. This software will be used to demonstrate the predictive capability of the theory as well as its use in designing proof test protocols to significantly improve the reliability (survival probability) and lifetime for dental prostheses. A three-unit fixed dental prosthesis (FDP) with zirconia core (ZirCAD) and veneering ceramic (ZirPress) are used to compare the predicted probabilities of failure to general clinical results. In addition, the capability to use proof testing to significantly improve the performance (reliability and lifetime) for this restoration is demonstrated. RESULTS: The probability of failure, Pf, after five years without proof testing is predicted to be 0.337. This compares to clinical studies showing the failure rate to be between 0.2 and 0.23 after 5 years. After 10 years, reference 18 found the clinical failure rate for similar bridges (but not the same) to be up to 0.28 compared to the predicted Pf of 0.38. The difference may be due to the analysis applying the load at an inclination of 75° which is more critical than vertical loading. In addition, clinical studies often report a simple survival rate instead of using Kaplan-Meier analysis to properly account for late enrollees. Therefore, true clinical failure rates may be higher than reported and may more closely match the predictions of this manuscript. The effectiveness of proof testing increases with selecting materials less susceptible to slow crack growth (higher SCG exponent, N). For example, proof testing the ZirPress glass-veneered bridges with N = 43.4 analyzed in this manuscript at 400 N bite force for 1 s which induces a failure rate during proof testing of 0.31, reduces the Pf of bridges not proof tested from 0.45 to an attenuated-proof-tested probability of failure Pfa of 0.21 after 20 years of usage. If another material is selected with improved resistance to SCG of N = 60 and the same loading conditions, the failure rate for the proof tested bridges after 20 years of service drops to 2 in 10,000 from 2.4 in 100 had they been not proof tested. The failure rate during proof testing for this material would be 5.1 in 100. Proof testing a material with absolutely no susceptibility to SCG at the same service load (in this case 285 N, not even the 400 N load used above) results in 0 % failure rate and is of course independent of time. SIGNIFICANCE: The transient reliability and proof test theory presented in this paper and associated computational software CARES/Life were successful in predicting the performance of ceramic dental restorations when compared to clinical data. Well-designed proof test protocols combined with proper material selection can significantly enhance the reliabilities and lifetimes of ceramic prostheses. This proof test capability can be a translational technology if properly applied to dental restorations.

Short- and Long-Term Performance of Pipe Compounds Containing Polyethylene Post-Consumer Recyclates from Packaging Waste.

The polymer industry is pushed to present solutions that lead to a circular plastics economy. High plastic packaging waste recycling targets will eventually lead to a high availability of packaging material recyclates. Although the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recyclates is prescribed by regulations to be used in new PET bottles, no such regulation prescribes the use of polyethylene recyclate (rPE) in new products. One possibility of using rPE, which is considered by the European Union, is the use within pipe materials. Pipe applications demand a certain property profile, most prominently a high slow crack growth (SCG) resistance, which is not met by most packaging materials or recyclates made from it. Hence, this work investigates the use of commercially available post-consumer recyclates out of high-density polyethylene from packaging applications in compounds together with high SCG-resistant virgin PE pipe material with a PE100-RC specification. Two rPEs were acquired from German producers and blended to compounds consisting of 25 m%, 50 m% and 75 m% recyclate. These compounds, together with the pure recyclates and several virgin pipe materials acting as benchmarks were tested in terms of short- and long-term mechanical performance and with other basic characterization methods. Several compounds exceeded the performance of one tested virgin PE pipe material, an injection molding PE80 grade, in several categories. The content of recyclate needed to outperform this benchmark grade was mostly dependent on the resulting melt flow rate (MFR) of the compound and thus also of the MFR of the pure recyclate. Furthermore, different levels of polypropylene contaminations within the recyclates resulted in differently contaminated compounds. This is proved to influence the SCG resistance too, as compounds of similar MFRs but with different SCG resistances were found.

Assessment of Commercially Available Polyethylene Recyclates for Blow Molding Applications by a Novel Environmental Stress Cracking Method.

The transition to a circular economy has a major impact on waste management and the reuse of materials. New mandatory recycling targets for plastics will lead to a high availability of recyclates. For these recyclates, useful applications need to be found. One potential application for recyclates is blow molding bottles as packaging for non-food contents. This study investigates commercially available post-consumer high-density polyethylene recyclates together with virgin blow molding grades in terms of their short-term mechanical properties and environmental stress cracking resistance. While the short-term mechanical properties showed only slightly lower performance than the tested virgin grades, the overall environmental stress cracking failure times of the recyclates were much lower compared to virgin materials, even though the crack-growth kinetics could be similar. Although neither the tensile nor the notched impact strength results of the two polyethylene recyclates revealed large differences, the stress intensity-factor-dependent crack-growth rates of both materials were significantly different.

Influence of testing environment on static fatigue behavior of a glass and a polycrystalline ceramic

Abstract It aims on evaluate the effect of the test environment on static fatigue behavior of lithium disilicate-based (LD), and yttrium oxide-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramics. Specimens of LD (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Vivadent) and YSZ (IPS e.max ZirCAD MO, 3 mol% Y2O3, Ivoclar Vivadent) were randomly allocated into three groups: tested in air, inert (paraffin oil, Sigma Aldrich) or distilled water. The static fatigue test (n=15) was performed using a piston-on-three ball assembly, adapted from ISO 6872, as follows: starting load 100 N for LD and 300 N for YSZ; loading application time set to 1 hour for each loading step; step size of 50 N for LD and 100 N for YSZ, applied successively until fracture. Data from static fatigue strength (MPa) and time to fracture (hours) were recorded. Fractographic analysis was executed. Survival analysis corroborates absence of influence of environment on static fatigue outcomes (fatigue strength, time to fracture and survival rates) for YSZ. For LD, specimens tested in air presented statistically superior survival rate and static fatigue strength (p= 0.025). In regards of time to fracture, LD tested in air were superior than when tested in distilled water (p=0.019) or inert (p=0.017) environments. No statistical differences for Weibull modulus were observed. Failures started on the tensile stress surface. Thus, the test environment did not affect slow crack growth (SCG) mechanisms during static fatigue test of YSZ ceramics, but it plays a significant role for the static fatigue behavior of lithium disilicate-based glass ceramics, indicating a high susceptibility to SCG.

Resumo O presente estudo objetivou investigar a influência do ambiente de teste no comportamento a fadiga estática (resistência à fratura e tempo para falha) de cerâmicas à base de dissilicato de lítio (LD) e zircônia estabilizada com ítria (YSZ). Espécimes de LD (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar Vivadent) e YSZ (IPS e.max ZirCAD MO, 3mol% Y2O3, Ivoclar Vivadent) foram obtidos e alocados aleatoriamente em três grupos: testado em ar, em líquido inerte (óleo de parafina) ou em água destilada. O teste de fadiga estática (n= 15) foi realizado usando o teste pistão sobre três esferas, ISO 6872, da seguinte forma: carga inicial 100 N para LD e 300 N para YSZ; tempo de aplicação de carregamento definido para 1 hora para cada etapa de carregamento; tamanho do passo de 50 N para LD e 100 N para YSZ, aplicados sucessivamente até a fratura. Dados de resistência à fadiga estática (MPa) e tempo até a fratura (horas) foram registrados. A análise fractográfica foi executada. A análise de sobrevivência corrobora a ausência de influência do ambiente de teste nos resultados de fadiga estática (resistência à fadiga, tempo de fratura e taxas de sobrevivência) para a YSZ. Para LD, os corpos de prova testados em ar apresentaram taxa de sobrevivência e resistência à fadiga estática estatisticamente superiores (p= 0,025). Em relação ao tempo de fratura, os espécimes LD testados em ar foram superiores aos testados em água destilada (p= 0,019) ou em ambiente inerte (p= 0,017). Não foram observadas diferenças estatísticas para o módulo de Weibull. Todas as falhas começaram no lado onde se concentra a tensão de tração (lado de baixo) durante o teste. Com base nisso, observa-se que o ambiente de teste não afetou os mecanismos de crescimento lento de trinca durante o teste de fadiga estática da cerâmica YSZ, mas desempenha um papel significativo na resistência à fadiga estática da cerâmica de vidro à base de dissilicato de lítio, indicando alta susceptibilidade ao crescimento lento e subcrítico de trincas.

Data on SiC-based bundle lifetime variability: The insufficiency of external phenomena affecting the flaw size.

A broad variability characterizes the lifetime of SiC-based bundles under static fatigue conditions at intermediate temperature and ambient air, challenging the accuracy of its prediction. The same is true, in a lower extend, with tensile properties, in apparent discrepancy with the bundle theory based on weakest link theory. The data presented here focus on lifetime scattering, evaluated on different fiber types (6 in total, Nicalon® or Tyranno®). It is hosted at http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/96xg3wmppf.1 and related to the research article "Static fatigue of SiC-based multifilament tows at intermediate temperature: the time to failure variability" (Mazerat et al., 2020) [1]. The insufficiency of classically invoked external and discrete bias (fiber sticking phenomenon for instance) was compared to a devoted Monte Carlo algorithm, attributing to each filament a strength (random) and a stress (homogeneous). Introduction of a stress inconsistency from tow to tow, experimentally observed through section variability, was revealed to overpass such biasing approach. This article can be referred to for the interpretation or prediction of CMC lifetime to guaranty long term performances over the broad offered application field.

Unique Slow Crack Growth Behavior of Isotactic Polypropylene: The Role of Shear Layer-Spherulites Layer Alternated Structure.

With the development of polymer science, more attention is being paid to the longevity of polymer products. Slow crack growth (SCG), one of the most important factors that reveal the service life of the products, has been investigated widely in the past decades. Here, we manufactured an isotactic polypropylene (iPP) sample with a novel shear layer-spherulites layer alternated structure using multiflow vibration injection molding (MFVIM). However, the effect of the alternated structure on the SCG behavior has never been reported before. Surprisingly, the results showed that the resistivity of polymer to SCG can be enhanced remarkably due to the special alternated structure. Moreover, this sample shows unique slow crack propagation behavior in contrast to the sample with the same thickness of shear layer, presenting multiple microcracks in the spherulites layer, which can explain the reason of the resistivity improvement of polymer to SCG.

Statistical data for the tensile properties and static fatigue of sic-based bundles.

Due to their high specific strength at elevated temperatures and resistance to oxidative environments, SiC-based fibers are of great interest for the reinforcement of ceramic matrix composites. They are however subjected to a slow crack growth (SCG) phenomenon causing their delayed failure under subcritical conditions. The testing of filaments, other than comprising handling difficulties, requires large sets of data (broadly dispersed), drawback alleviated by multifilament tow testing. The data available in the present paper correspond to a comprehensive mechanical characterization and static fatigue testing of various types of SiC-based fiber bundles. The initial non-linearity of load displacement curves were analyzed to reveal the tow structure originating from filament misalignment. Static fatigue tests were used to assess the lifetime prediction coefficients and its distribution parameters. These data may found interest for the interpretation of dispersion bundle testing can highlight under different solicitation mode. Such data are also prominent for the wealth of composite design and to guaranty long term performances over the broad application field offered.

Trade-off between fracture resistance and translucency of zirconia and lithium-disilicate glass ceramics for monolithic restorations.

High strength and translucency are generally not coincident in one restorative material and there is still a continuous development for a better balance between these two properties. Zirconia and lithium-disilicate glass-ceramics are currently the most popular alternatives for monolithic restorations. In this work, the mechanical properties and more important, the slow crack growth (SCG) resistance, which rules long-term durability, were thoroughly studied for three zirconia ceramics stabilized by 3, 4 and 5 mol% yttria in comparison to lithium-disilicate glass-ceramic. Translucency versus strength maps revealed that the more translucent zirconia compositions (i.e. with higher yttria contents) fill the gap between the standard 3 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (3Y-TZP) and lithium-disilicate. Moreover, increasing yttria content did not always result in lower strength, as values for 3 mol% and 4 mol% yttria were the same. Independent on the yttria contents, all zirconia showed similar relative susceptibility to SCG under static and cyclic conditions and were significantly more SCG-resistant than lithium-disilicate glass ceramic. A concern with higher yttria contents (5 and 4 mol%) however could lie in the higher sensitivity to defects, resulting in a larger scatter in strength. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In addition to the common investigations on the generally reported strength, toughness and translucency, V-KI diagrams (crack velocity versus stress-intensity factor) from fast fracture to threshold for three newly developed zirconia were directly measured by double torsion methods under static and cyclic loading conditions. The crack-growth mechanisms were analyzed in depth. Results were compared with another popular dental ceramic, namely lithium-disilicate glass-ceramic, revealing the pros and cons of polycrystalline and glass-ceramics in terms of long-term durability. This is the first time that V-KI curves are compared for the major ceramic and glass-ceramic used for dental restorations. Strength versus translucency maps for different CAD/CAM dental restorative materials were described, showing the current indication range for zirconia ceramics.

ADM guidance-ceramics: Fatigue principles and testing.

BACKGROUND: Clinical failure of dental ceramics is usually reported as partial fracture of the restoration (chipping) or as catastrophic fracture of the whole structure. In contrast to metals, ceramics are linear-elastic, brittle materials exhibiting extremely low damage tolerance to failure. Well documented clinical and lab reports have shown this fracture event often occurs at loads far below their fracture strength due to intrinsic fatigue degradation via slow crack growth or cyclic fatigue mechanisms. The presence and development of surface flaws have a dominant role in damage accumulation and lifetime reduction of ceramic structures. AIMS: This ADM guidance document aims to summarize the aspects related to fatigue degradation of dental ceramics, reviewing the concepts of fatigue testing and furthermore aims to provide practical guidance to young scientists entering into fatigue related research. The description of fatigue strength is always accompanied by a clear understanding of the underlying fracture mechanisms.

Descriptions of crack growth behaviors in glass-ZrO2 bilayers under thermal residual stresses.

OBJECTIVES: This study was intended to separate residual stresses arising from the mismatch in coefficients of thermal expansion between glass and zirconia (ZrO2) from those stresses arising solely from the cooling process. Slow crack growth experimentes were undertaken to demonstrate how cracks grow in different residual stress fields. METHODS: Aluminosilicate glass discs were sintered onto ZrO2 to form glass-ZrO2 bilayers. Glass discs were allowed to bond to the ZrO2 substrate during sintering or prevented from bonding by means of coating the ZrO2 with a thin boron nitrade coating. Residual stress gradients on "bonded" and "unbonded" bilayers were assessed using birefringence measurements. Unbonded glass discs were further tested under biaxial flexure in dynamic fatigue conditions in order to evaluate the effect of residual stress on the slow crack growth behavior. RESULTS: When fast-ccoling was induced, residual tensile stresses on the glass increased significantly on the side toward the ZrO2 substrate. By allowing the bond between glass and ZrO2, those tensile stresses observed in unbonded specimens are overwhelmed by the contraction mismatch stresses between the ZrO2 substrate and the glassy overlayer. Specimens containing residual tensile stresses on the bending surface showed a time-dependent strength increase in relation to stress-free annealed samples in the dynamic biaxial bending test, with this effect being dependent on the magnitude of the residual tensile stress. The phenomenon observed is explained here on the basis of the water toughening effect, in which water diffuses into the glass promoting local swelling. An additional residual tensile stress at the crack tip adds an applied-stress-independent (Kres) term to the total tip stress intensity factor (Ktip), increasing the stress-enhanced diffusion and the shielding of the crack tip through swelling of the crack faces. SIGNIFICANCE: Residual stresses in the glass influence the crack growth behavior of veneered-ZrO2 bilayered dental prostheses. The role of water in crack growth might be of higher complexity when residual stresses are present in the glass layer.

Creep-assisted slow crack growth in bio-inspired dental multilayers.

Ceramic crown structures under occlusal contact are often idealized as flat multilayered structures that are deformed under Hertzian contact loading. Previous models treated each layer as linear elastic materials and resulted in differences between the measured and predicted critical loads. This paper examines the combined effects of creep (in the adhesive and substrate layers) and creep-assisted slow crack growth (in the ceramic layer) on the contact-induced deformation of bio-inspired, functionally graded multilayer (FGM) structures and the conventional tri-layers. The time-dependent moduli of each of the layers were determined from constant load creep tests. The resulting modulus-time characteristics were modeled using Prony series. These were then incorporated into a finite element model for the computation of stress distributions in the sub-surface regions of the top ceramic layer, in which sub-surface radial cracks, are observed as the clinical failure mode. The time-dependent stresses are incorporated into a slow crack growth (SCG) model that is used to predict the critical loads of the dental multilayers under Hertzian contact loading. The predicted loading rate dependence of the critical loads is shown to be consistent with experimental results. The implications of the results are then discussed for the design of robust dental multilayers.

Impact of oral fluids on dental ceramics: what is the clinical relevance?

OBJECTIVES: In this brief and selective overview, basic factors contributing to aqueous induced dissolution, phase changes of zirconia and mechanical strength degradation of dental ceramics are considered. METHODS: Dissolution is important for porcelain and glass-ceramic materials as they predominantly contain a silica glass structure with various other cations incorporated which disrupt the silica network. In glass-ceramic materials and porcelains containing crystalline components the situation is more complex as the difference in the dissolution rate may increase the surface roughness and contribute to abrasion of the opposing definition. RESULTS: Factors contributing to the aqueous dissolution of silicate based dental ceramics and induced destabilization of Y-TZP zirconia or low temperature degradation (LTD) are considered. It is also noted that there have been a number of reports of spontaneous fracture of 3Y-TZP specimens because of LTD in the absence of external stress. A simple analysis of this situation is presented which indicates a strong specimen-size effect and also implicates the role of the remnant "pseudo-grain" structure resulting from the pressing of spray-dried powder agglomerates. SIGNIFICANCE: The final section of this review addresses the consequences of various environments on crack growth and strength degradation. In some situations it is suggested that the aqueous environment may enhance the strength of restorative materials. In all instances discussed above the clinical consequences are pointed out.

Effect of multistep processing technique on the formation of micro-defects and residual stresses in zirconia dental restorations.

PURPOSE: The clinical failures of zirconia dental restorations are often caused by extrinsic artifacts introduced by processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the micro-defects and residual stresses generated during the multistep process of zirconia dental restorations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thermal spray granulated 3Y-TZP powders were dry pressed by two tools exhibiting distinctly different Young's moduli, cold isostatic pressed (CIP-ed), and pressure-less fully sintered. The green bodies pressed by a stiff tool were treated with different procedures: direct milling (green milling) followed by fully sintering; half-sintering and milling (raw milling) with or without fully sintering; and fully sintering followed by grinding. The fully sintered 3Y-TZP crowns were clinically adjusted using both a diamond bur and SiC bur, respectively. Phase composition and microstructure of the pressed, milled, and ground surfaces were studied by XRD and SEM. RESULTS: Tetragonal phase was the main phase of all detected 3Y-TZP specimens. Excessive residual stresses introduced by raw milling and grinding were confirmed by a strained T (111) peak, monoclinic phase, and obviously changed I(002)t /I(200)t ratio. The residual stresses would form a compressive stress layer, while it was too shallow to inhibit crack propagation even for ground specimens. Large voids with high-coordination numbers were the common packing micro-defects. Once formed, they were barely healed by CIP-ing and sintering. A stiff pressing tool was confirmed to be useful for reducing the surface packing voids. Milling removed the surface voids, but was no help for the interior ones. Raw milling introduced more serious chippings, most originating from the existing packing voids, than green milling due to its brittle failure and was less recommended for production. Grinding dense 3Y-TZP caused surface grain refinement and much more severe micro-defects, especially when clinical adjustment was applied by diamond bur compared to SiC bur. CONCLUSIONS: Micro-defects and residual stresses are introduced and accumulated through the entire production chain and determine the final microstructure of zirconia dental restorations. Several procedural improvements are offered and expected to reduce processing micro-defects.

Comportamento mecânico de cerâmicas utilizadas na confecção de próteses parciais fixas / Mechanical behavior of ceramic materials used for fixed partial dentures

Objetivos: determinar a resistência à flexão em três pontos (f), módulo de Weibull (m), coeficiente de susceptibilidade ao crescimento subcrítico de trinca (n) e tenacidade à fratura (KIC) de três cerâmicas usadas para confecção de infraestrutura (IE) de próteses parciais fixas (PPFs) (YZ- zircônia tetragonal parcialmente estabilizada por óxido de ítrio; IZ- cerâmica a base de alumina infiltrada por vidro e reforçada com zircônia; AL alumina policristalina) e duas porcelanas (VM7 e VM9); avaliar o efeito da configuração (uma, duas ou três camadas) nos valores de f e modo de fratura dos corpos-de-prova (CP); avaliar a influência do material de IE, do tamanho dos conectores e da ciclagem mecânica (CM) na carga de fratura (CF) e distribuição de tensões de PPFs; relacionar o comportamento mecânico dos materiais cerâmicos testados na configuração de barra e de PPF. Material e Método: Foram produzidos três tipos de CP em forma de barra (2mm x 4mm x 16mm): monolítico, duas camadas e três camadas. As IE das PPFs foram confeccionadas utilizando o sistema CAD-CAM e recobertas com porcelana. Os ensaios de f foram realizados em saliva artificial a 37ºC. Os valores de m e n foram determinados pela análise de Weibull e ensaio de fadiga dinâmica, respectivamente. As PPFs foram carregadas no centro do pôntico até a fratura. Oito PPFs de cada grupo foram submetidas a CM com freqüência de 2 Hz e carga de 140 N durante 106 ciclos e, posteriormente, ensaiadas até a fratura. A distribuição de tensões nas PPFs foi avaliada com análise de elementos finitos (AEF). Os princípios da fractografia foram utilizados para determinar o padrão de fratura e os valores de KIC. Os dados de f e CF foram analisados estatisticamente com Kruskal-Wallis e Tukey (95%)...

Objectives: to determine the flexural strength (f), Weibull modulus (m), slow crack growth coefficient (n) and fracture toughness (KIC) of three ceramics used as framework materials for fixed partial dentures (FPDs) (YZ- yttria partially stabilized zirconia tetragonal polycrystals; IZ- alumina-based zirconia-reinforced glass infiltrated ceramic; AL alumina polycrystals) and two veneering porcelains (VM7 and VM9); to evaluate the effect of the specimen design (one, two or three layers) in the f and fracture mode; to evaluate the influence of the framework material, connector size and mechanical cycling (MC) in the fracture load (FL) and stress distribution of FPDs; to relate the mechanical behavior of the ceramic materials tested using bar-shaped specimens and FPDs. Materials and Methods: Bar-shaped specimens (2mm x 4mm x 16mm) were produced in three different designs: monolithic, bilayer and trilayer. FPD frameworks were built using CAD-CAM system and veneered with porcelain. Specimens were tested for three point bending in 37ºC artificial saliva. Weibull analysis and dynamic fatigue testing were used to determine m and n values, respectively. FPDs were tested with a load applied in the middle of the pontic. Eight FPDs of each group were subjected to MC using a frequency of 2Hz and load of 140N for 106 cycles and were subsequently loaded to failure. Stress distribution for FPDs was evaluated using finite element analysis (FEA). Fractography principles were used to determine the fracture mode and KIC values. f and FL data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Tukey (95%)...

Crescimento de trinca subcrítico em cerâmicas odontológicas: efeito do material (microestrutura) e do método de ensaio / Growth of crack subcrítico in dental ceramics: effect of the material (Microstructure) and the test method

O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a caracterização microestrutural e das propriedades mecânicas de diferentes cerâmicas odontológicas para entender sua influência nos parâmetros de crescimento de trinca subcrítico (SCG), n (coeficiente de susceptibilidade ao SCG) e ?f0 (parâmetro escalar), determinados por diferentes métodos. Cinco cerâmicas foram avaliadas: porcelanas VM7 (Vita) e D (d.Sign, Ivoclar), vitrocerâmicas E1 (IPS Empress, Ivoclar) e E2 (IPS Empress 2, Ivoclar) e compósito IC (In-Ceram Alumina, Vita). Espécimes em forma de disco (12 mm x 1 mm) foram confeccionados segundo as recomendações dos fabricantes. A caracterização microestrutural dos materiais foi realizada. A tenacidade à fratura (KIc) foi determinada pelo método da fratura por indentação (IF) e indentation strength. Os parâmetros de SCG foram determinados por fadiga dinâmica (com diferentes taxas de tensão constante), fadiga estática (com diferentes níveis de tensão constante) e fadiga por IF. Os resultados mostraram que todas as cerâmicas constituíram-se de fase vítrea e cristalina, com exceção da VM7, composta somente por fase amorfa. D e E1 apresentaram partículas de leucita, em frações volumétricas iguais a 0,16 e 0,29, sendo que E1 apresentou distribuição homogênea destes cristais, enquanto que D apresentou distribuição heterogênea, formando aglomerados. E2 apresentou cristais alongados de dissilicato de lítio, em fração volumétrica de 0,58, que apresentaram tendência de alinhamento com seu maior eixo alinhado perpendicularmente à direção de compactação, que variou angularmente a partir do ponto de injeção. O compósito IC apresentou-se constituído de cristais de alumina parcialmente sinterizados (65% em volume), infiltrados por vidro de baixa fusão. Independentemente do método, IC apresentou maior tenacidade (2,81 MPa.m1/2), seguido por E2 (1,81 MPa.m1/2) e E1 (0,96 MPa.m1/2) e, por último pelas porcelanas D (0,84 MPa.m1/2) e VM7 (0,67 MPa.m1/2)...

The objective of this study was to determine the mechanical properties and the microstructure of different dental ceramics in order to understand their influence on the slow crack growth (SCG) parameters, n (crack growth exponent) and ?f0, (scaling parameter), determined by different methods. The five ceramics tested were: porcelains VM7 (Vita) and D (d.Sign, Ivoclar), glass-ceramics E1 (IPS Empress, Ivoclar) e E2 (IPS Empress 2, Ivoclar) and composite IC (In-Ceram Alumina, Vita). Disc specimens (12 mm x 1 mm) were prepared according to manufacturers' instructions. The microstructure of the materials was carried out. The fracture toughness (KIc) was determined by means of the indentation fracture technique (IF) and indentation strength. The slow crack growth parameters were determined by dynamic fatigue test (constant stress rate), static fatigue test (constant stress) and the indentation fracture method. The results showed that all ceramic materials were composed by glassy matrix and crystalline phases, except for VM7 (vitreous porcelain). D and E1 presented leucite particles, in volume fractions of 0.16 and 0.29. For E1, the leucite crystals were homogeneously distributed in the glassy matrix, while in D, leucite formed agglomerates. E2 presented lithium dissilicate crystals (58% in volume) that presented an alignment tendency, with their major axis oriented perpendicularly to the pressing direction, which varied angularly from the injection point. IC presented alumina crystals (65% in volume) partially sintered, infiltrated by a lanthanum glass. Regardless of the method, the fracture toughness values were higher for IC (2.81 MPa.m1/2), followed by E2 (1.81 MPa.m1/2) and E1 (0.96 MPa.m1/2), and were lower for the porcelains D (0.84 MPa.m1/2) and VM7 (0.67 MPa.m1/2). Crack deflection was the main toughening mechanism observed for the ceramics containing crystalline phases. Regarding the dynamic fatigue test, the n values depended...