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Purpose: The flexural strength of two commercially available dental fiber-reinforced
composites (FRC) (glass fiber–reinforced composite material), one unidirectional and the
other bidirectional, were investigated. Materials and Methods: Ten uniform beams of
core materials and ten beams of laminated core materials were fabricated for FibreKor
and Vectris Frame. The specimens were subjected to a three-point bending test. Flexural
strength for both FRC materials was determined with and without their composite
laminations. The strength data were analyzed using the Weibull method. Modes of failure
for both systems were determined using SEM. Results: The strength of FibreKor was
significantly greater than that of Vectris Frame when comparing the core materials with
and without their respective composite laminations. Mode of failure of FibreKor was
predominantly debonding with fiber fracture. Vectris Frame did not exhibit debonding
failure. Mode of failure for Vectris Frame was fiber fracture with delamination and matrix
microfracture. Conclusion: FibreKor, a unidirectional FRC, demonstrated higher flexural
strength than Vectris Frame, a bidirectional FRC. Debonding of fibers from the matrix
possibly contributed to toughening mechanisms such as crack deflection, fiber pullout,
and fiber bridging in FibreKor. Int J Prosthodont 2003;16:161–166.
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