Surface Treatment of Glass Fiber and Carbon Fiber Posts: SEM Characterization

Morphology, etching patterns, surface modification, and characterization of 2 different fiber posts: Gfp, Glass fiber post; and Cfp, carbon fiber were investigated by SEM analysis, after different surface treatments. Thirty fiber posts, being 15 Gfp and 15 Cfp were divided into a 5 surface treatments (n = 3): C-alcohol 70% (control); HF 4%-immersion in 4% hydrofluoric acid for 1 min; H3PO4 37%-immersion in 37% phosphoric acid for 30s; H2O2 10%-immersion in 10% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min; H2O2 24%-immersion in 24% hydrogen peroxide for 10 min. Morphology, etching patterns, surface modification and surface characterization were acessed by SEM analysis. SEM evaluation revealed that the post surface morphology was modified following all treatment when compared with a control group, for both type of reinforced posts. HF seems to penetrate around the fibers of Gfp and promoted surface alterations. The Cfp surface seems to be inert to treatment with HF 4%. Dissolution of epoxy resin and exposure of the superficial fiber was observed in both post groups, regardless the type of reinforcing fiber, H2O2 in both concentrations. Relative smooth surface area was produced by H3PO4 37% treatment, but with similar features to untreated group. Surface treatment of fiber post is a determinant factor on micromechanical entanglement to resin composite core. Post treatment with hydrogen peroxide resulted strength of carbon and glass/epoxy resin fiber posts to resin composite core. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74: 1088-1092, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.