The transverse strength of acrylic resin strips and of repaired acrylic samples.

A method was developed for measuring the transverse strength of repaired acrylic samples at a single butt joint. The strength was determined for samples prepared from two types of heat polymerizing resins and two types of repair resins. The temperature elevation during curing of the repair resins was determined. Cross-linking of the resins was evaluated by immersion of samples in solvents. The appearance of the bead microstructure after various treatments was considered to indicate relaxation at the sample surface. Repaired samples of the heat polymerizing resin which exhibited relaxation after immersion in monomer, had a lower strength than samples prepared from the resin for which relaxation was not observed, although both resins were cross-linked to a similar extent. The application of pressure during curing increased the strength of the samples repaired with the rapid curing, cross-linked, repair resin. The strength of the samples repaired with the uncross-linked, slow curing, repair resin was affected by pressure only if the insertion of the repair resin between the sample parts was delayed after mixing. Variations in the powder to liquid ratio of the uncross-linked repair resin did not affect the sample strength. Wetting of the sample parts with monomer before repair, and variations in the curing temperature did not affect the sample strength for the investigated resin combinations.