Visualization study on distortion of a metal frame by polymerization shrinkage and thermal contraction of resin.

Three types of metal specimens (ring-shaped, plate-shaped, and a simulated anterior arch) for distortion observations were made from Au-Ag-Pd-Cu alloy. Distortion due to polymerization shrinkage and thermal contraction of a heat-curing acrylic resin containing 4-META (4-methacryloyloxyethyl trimellitate anhydride, 4-META resin) could be visualized for the ring-shaped specimen, which showed increasing distortion of the metal frame upon adhesion of the resin to the outer metal surface. Distortion of the plateshaped specimen adhering to 4-META resin decreased with increasing thickness of the cured resin. The distortion of the metal frame simulating an anterior arch of a six-unit bridge with a facing composite resin showed that the curvature of the metal frame was larger after curing of the facing composite resin. However, it recovered most of its original curvature with an associated increase in the number of cracks between the crowns after trimming the resin to a tooth profile.

Analysis of residual stress in the resin of metal-resin adhesion structures by scanning acoustic microscopy.

The residual stress caused by polymerization shrinkage and thermal contraction of a heat-curing resin containing 4-META on a metal-resin structure was measured by a scanning acoustic microscope. The tensile residual stress in the resin occurred within 70 µm of the adhesion interface with a flat plate specimen. The maximum tensile stress was about 58 MPa at the interface. On a metal plate specimen with retention holes, ring-like cracks in the resin occurred around the retention holes with the adhesive specimen and many linear cracks occurred in the resin vertical to the longitudinal direction of the metal frame with the non-adhesive specimens. There was tensile residual stress on the resin surface at the center of the retention holes of the adhesion specimen, indicating that the stress in the specimen with surface treatment for adhesion was higher than in that without surface treatment.