Influence of Exposure Period and Angle Alteration on the Flexural Resilience and Mechanical Attributes of Photosensitive Resin

Abstract

Despite the large number of studies addressing the effect of acrylic resin polymerization concerning flexural properties, limited research has been conducted on the manufacturing impact on a polymer’s mechanical properties. Photosensitive resinous materials are used in various engineering applications where they may be exposed to multiple detrimental environments during their lifetime. Therefore, there is a need to understand the impact of an environment on the service life of resins. Thus, flexural tests were conducted to study the effects of exposure time and angle on the flexural strength of resins. Herein, the main objective was to explore the strength, stability, and flexural durability of photosensitive resin (EPIC-2000ST) fabricated at different exposure times (E) and angle deviation varying from 0° to 85° with a 5° increment. The samples in circular rings were manufactured and divided into five groups according to their exposure time (E): 10 s, 20 s, 30 s, 40 s, and 50 s. In each exposure time, we designed rings via SolidWorks software and experimentally fabricated at different oblique angles (OA) varying from 0° to 85° with a 5° increment during each fabrication, i.e., OA = 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, and 85°. Flexural strength was evaluated using a three-point bending test. Optical electron microscopy was used to examines the samples’ exterior, interior, and ruptured surfaces. Our experimental analysis shows that flexural strength was significantly enhanced by increasing exposure time and at higher oblique angles. However, at lower angles and less exposure time, mechanical flexural resilience declines.