Multifunctional epoxy resin-based composites with excellent flexural strength and X-ray imaging capacity using micro/nano structured QF-Bi2SiO5 fillers

Abstract

Composites have been widely applied in various industries and are beneficial in attaining complicated functionalities. Particularly, for dental fiber posts or orthopedic implants, the composites should have excellent mechanical properties and good imaging effects for visualization in vivo. The traditional method to improve mechanical strength and visibility by adding reinforcing fillers and radiopacifiers is complicated and has poor distributions and long production times. Hence, fabricating an integrated reinforced filler with radiopacity is of considerable economic and social significance. After ball-milling and sintering quartz fiber (QF) and bismuth trioxide (Bi₂O₃), a multifunctional filler (QF-Bi₂SiO₅) is fabricated to impart excellent flexural strengths and high X-ray imaging qualities to the composites. A composite made of epoxy resin (EP) and QF-Bi₂SiO₅ has a high bending strength (126.87 ± 6.78 MPa) and bending modulus (3649.31 ± 343.87 MPa), which are attributed to the tight mechanical interlock between EP and micro/nano structures of QF-Bi₂SiO₅. The QF-Bi₂SiO₅/EP composite shows good X-ray imaging quality owing to the Bi₂SiO₅ crystal. Furthermore, the mechanical and imaging performances of various composites with commercial fillers were compared with that of the QF-Bi₂SiO₅/EP composite. No filler was found that can perform both functions as well as QF-Bi₂SiO₅. Hence, the fabricated composites containing micro/nano structured QF-Bi₂SiO₅ fillers have the potential to be used in a variety of fields requiring mechanical strength and X-ray imaging capability.