INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT FINISHING TECHNIQUES ONTO NANOTRIBOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VENEERING GLASS CERAMIC

Abstract

This paper describes the nanotribological characterisation of fluorapatite veneering glass ceramic (IPS e.max Ceram, Ivoclar Vivadent) treated with three different surface finishing techniques: polishing, glazing and grinding, using the CSM nanotribometer. Tribological tests was done on the mentioned finishing surfaces against alumina, at nanotribometer by using linear reciprocating module (ball-on-flat), were realised in artificial saliva medium over a range of load 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1N and velocities 4, 8 and 12mm/s. Wear rate was calculated, as the rate of material removal per unit sliding distance, for each conducted test. Also, AFM analysis of different surface finishing procedure was done in order to determine the roughness parameter Ra. The obtained results of nanotribological tests show that all parameters are mostly dependent of different finishing procedure.