Evaluation of the tribological and mechanical behavior of SiC nanofiber/hybrid dental restorative composites

Abstract This study aimed to develop and characterize dental composites with enhanced mechanical and tribological properties. The primary objective was to systematically evaluate the effect of silicon carbide (SiC) nanofiber and nanohybrid (nanofiber/nanoparticle) reinforcement on a Bis-GMA/TEGDMA resin system. Seven composite formulations were prepared: a control (0% SiC), three with SiC nanofibers (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 wt%), and three nanohybrids with equivalent loadings of SiC nanofibers and nanoparticles. The specimens were light-cured and evaluated for hardness, compressive strength, and tribological performance via pin-on-disc testing against different counterfaces. Morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and data were analyzed with ANOVA. The incorporation of SiC significantly enhanced the composite hardness, with values increasing alongside filler content. Tribological results indicated that the counterface material greatly influenced the coefficient of friction and wear (weight loss). Furthermore, composites reinforced solely with nanofibers exhibited higher compressive strength than the nanohybrid counterparts. These findings were corroborated by SEM analysis and statistical validation. SiC nanofiber reinforcement effectively improves the hardness and compressive strength of dental composites, while the tribological performance is highly dependent on the counterface. The study demonstrates that SiC nanofibers are a promising reinforcement for enhancing the mechanical durability of dental restorations.