Gold and Alloys of Noble Metals
Gold and Alloys of Noble Metals
Gold and Alloys of Noble Metals
Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Lec. 16
Metals and Alloys
Metals and alloys have many uses in dentistry. Steel alloys are commonly
used for the construction of instruments and of wires for orthodontics. Gold
alloys and alloys containing chromium areused for making crowns, inlays and
denture bases whilst dental amalgam, an alloy containing mercury, is the most
widely used dental filling material.
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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Blood levels of gold are correlated with amounts of dental gold and with the
incidence of gold allergy, but little is known about the possible effects of gold
circulating in the blood.
Silver-Copper System
The silver-copper system is a good example of an alloy in which the
component metals are only partially soluble in the solid state. The solidified
alloy consists of a mixture of two solid solutions, one in which small quantities
Gold-Copper System
Gold and copper form a continuous series of solidsolutions over the whole
range of compositions. In alloys containing 40–60% gold an ordered super
lattice, based on the formula Cu3Au, is formed.
Silver-Palladium Alloys
The silver–palladium alloys contain little or no gold and as their name
suggests contain primarily silver and palladium. There is generally a
minimum of 25% palladium along with small quantities of copper, zinc and
indium, in addition to gold that is sometimes present in small quantities. The
silver–palladium alloys have significantly lower density than gold alloys, a
factor which may affect castability.
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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Noble Alloys for Metal-Bonded Ceramic Restorations
Alloys of precious metals are commonly used for the fabrication of metal-
bonded ceramic restorations. Their additional requirements related to the
following:
(1) Thermal stability during firing of the ceramic;
(2) Bonding to the ceramic.
(3) Compatibility with the ceramic.
(4) Support for the ceramic.
Cobalt-Chromium Alloys
The chemical composition of these alloys as follows: A typical material would
contain 35–65% cobalt, 25–35% chromium, 0–30% nickel, a little
molybdenum and trace quantities of other elements such as beryllium, silicon
and carbon. Cobalt and nickel are hard, strong metals. The main purpose of
the chromium is to further harden the alloy by solution hardening and to
impart corrosion resistance by the passivating effect. Chromium exposed at
the surface of the alloy rapidly becomes oxidized to form a thin, passive,
surface layer of chromic oxide which prevents further attack on the bulk of
the alloy. The minor elements are generally added to improve casting and
handling characteristics and modify mechanical properties. For example,
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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
silicon imparts good casting properties to a nickel containing alloy and
increases its ductility. Likewise, molybdenum and beryllium are added to
refine the grain structure and improve the behavior of base metal alloys during
casting. Carbon affects the hardness, strength and ductility of the alloys and
the exact concentration of carbon is one of the major factors controlling alloy
properties. The presence of too much carbon results in a brittle carbide phase
acts as a barrier to slip.
Nickel-Chromium Alloys
The chemical composition of these alloys specified in the ISO Standard for
Dental Base Metal Casting Alloys (Part 2) is as follows: main constituent
Chromium no less than 20%
Molybdenum no less than 4%
Beryllium no more than 2%
Nickel-cobalt-chromium no less than 85%
As for the Co/Cr alloys the concentrations of minor ingredients can have a
profound effect on properties. The concentration of carbon and the nature of
the grain boundaries are major factors in controlling the properties of these
alloys. The fusion temperatures of the Ni/Cr and Co/Cr alloys vary with
composition but are generally in the range 1200–1500ºC. This is considerably
higher than for the gold alloys that rarely have fusion temperatures above
950ºC. When using oxyacetylene flames the ratio of oxygen to acetylene must
be carefully controlled. The problem may be aggravated if the investment is
not sufficiently porous to allow escape of trapped air and other gases. The
greatest expense involved in producing a Co/Cr dental casting is in the time
required for trimming and polishing. After casting, it is usual to sandblast the
metal to remove any surface roughness or adherent investment material as
well as the green layer of oxide that coats the surface after casting. Electrolytic
polishing may then be carried out. This procedure is essentially the opposite
of electro plating. The Co/Cr and Ni/Cr alloys are very hard materials and
although this makes the polishing of castings, a difficult process the final
polished surface is very durable and resistant to scratching. In addition, fine
margins seem less likely to be lost during finishing of a base metal alloy Co/Cr
and Ni/Cr alloys have very good corrosion resistance by virtue of the
passivating effect.
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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Faults in Castings
The faults, which can occur in casting, may be of four types.
(1) Finning and bubbling.
(2) Incomplete casting.
(3) Porosity in casting.
(4) Oversized or undersized casting.
Finning and bubbling: Finning occurs when the investment is heated up too
rapidly in the furnace. This causes the investment to crack. Molten alloy flows
into the cracks forming thin ‘fins’ on the casting in regions where the cracks
have been located. Bubbling effects on casting appear as spheres of excess
material attached to the surface of the casting. These reflect the presence of
surface porosities in the investment, a problem that can be overcome by
vacuum investing. Finning and bubbling increase the time required to finish a
casting and if the defects occur in critical areas (e.g. near a crown shoulder)
can result in a need to re-cast.
Incomplete castings: There are many possible causes of incomplete castings.
In any casting the greater the number and thickness of the sprues, the more
readily the metal will fill the mould. Against this, the sprues must be severed
from the completed casting and an excessive number of sprues creates more
work in finishing.
Porosity: Porosity may be seen as surface pitting on the casting or may be
revealed within the cast metal on finishing and polishing. Broken pieces of
investment, or particles of dirt which have fallen down the sprue, may become
embedded in the casting and produce pitting of the surface. For this reason,
all casting moulds should be handled with the sprue downwards. Gases that
become dissolved in the molten alloy produce gaseous porosity in castings.
Copper, gold, silver, platinum, and particularly palladium, all dissolve oxygen
in the molten state. On cooling, the alloys liberate the absorbed gases but some
remain trapped when the alloy becomes rigid. This type of porosity may affect
all parts of the casting. Avoiding overheating of the alloy or casting in the
atmosphere of an inert gas or vacuum can reduce its effects.
Undersized or oversized castings: The final fit of a casting depends on a
balancing out of expansions and contractions that occur during its
construction. The major dimensional changes involved are the casting
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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
shrinkage of the alloy, which should be compensated for by the setting
expansion, thermal expansion and inversion of the investment. Faults in
technique, for example not heating the investment mould to a high enough
temperature, may produce insufficient compensation for casting shrinkage. It
should be remembered, however, that other factors such as the choice of
impression material and impression technique might also influence the final
result.
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