A Comparison of Surface Characteristics, Coating Stability and Friction Coefficients of Esthetic Archwires: A Comparative Study

Aim: The aim of this article is to evaluate coated orthodontic aligning archwires for surface characteristics, coating stability, and associated dynamic frictional resistance and to compare and relate these results to each other. Materials and Methods: The archwire investigated were (1) group 1: American orthodontics (0.016 NiTi) (AO); (2) group 2: G and H Wire Company, USA (0.016) (G and H); (3) group 3: Orthosystems (0.016) (OS); and (4) group 4: Forestadent, Bio Cosmetic (0.017) (BC) Surface roughness (ESEM), coating stability, and frictional resistance were tested. Analysis of variance and Bonferroni test were used for analysis. Results: Frictional resistance from low to high—BC, AO, OS, G, and H. Coating stability from low to high—BC, AO, G and H, and OS. Surface characteristics from low to high—BC, OS, AO, G, and H. Conclusions: The study showed that BC has least friction coefficient, best coating stability, and less surface irregularities. Surface characteristics, friction coefficient, and coating stability may have correlation but are not statistically significant because of multifactorial conditions in the oral environment.

Carrier-microencapsulation using Al-catecholate complex to suppress arsenopyrite oxidation: Evaluation of the coating stability under simulated weathering conditions

Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) is the most common primary arsenic-sulfide mineral in nature, and its oxidation causes the release of toxic arsenic (As). To mitigate these problems, carrier-microencapsulation (CME), a technique that passivates sulfide minerals by covering their surfaces with a protective coating, has been developed. In the previous study of authors on CME, Al-catecholate complex significantly suppressed arsenopyrite oxidation via electron donating effects of the complex and the formation of an Al-oxyhydroxide coating. For the application of this technique to real tailings, however, further study should be carried out to elucidate long-term effectiveness of the coating to suppress arsenopyrite oxidation. This study investigates the stability of the coating formed on arsenopyrite by Al-based CME using weathering tests. The Al-oxyhydroxide coating suppressed arsenopyrite oxidation until about 50 days of the experiment, but after this, the amounts of oxidation products like dissolved S and As increased due to the gradual dissolution of the coating with time as a result of the low pH of leachate. This suggests that co-disposal of Al-based CME-treated arsenopyrite with minerals that have appropriate neutralization potentials, so that the pH is maintained at around 5 to 8 where Al-oxyhydroxide is stable.

Biomimetic strategy towards gelatin coatings on PET. Effect of protocol on coating stability and cell-interactive properties

The potential in vascular grafts of gelatin-modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was shown herein via their coating stability, ability to promote endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and positive cyto- and endotoxicity assessments.