Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Metal-ceramic or
Porcelain-fused to metal restoration
Objectives
Understand the alloy classifications
Know the roles of each element in dental
casting alloys
Know the requirements of porcelain-fused
to metal (or metal-ceramic) alloys
Understand the relation between the
TCOE of PFM alloys and that of ceramics
Recognize the importance of some
properties of the alloys
1907 : Lost wax technique by Taggart
1932 - 1948 : Standardization of dental casting
alloys
. : Development of porcelain-fused-to-
1950s -1960s
metal (PFM) alloys
Found that adding Pd and Pt to gold (Au) would lower
coefficient of thermal expansion sufficiently to ensure
physical compatibility between the porcelain veneer and
the metal substructure.
1970s : Placement of gold on the free market
Increased prices stimulates the search for alternative low
gold and base metal alloys
Noble metals
◦ Elements with good metallic surfaces that retain their luster
in clean dry air
◦ Indicate the relative inertness of the element in relation to
the standard EMF series
◦ Resist oxidation, tarnish and corrosion during heating
casting and soldering
Platinum group (6 metals)
Platinum, Iridium, Osmium (atomic wt 190, density 22
g/cc)
Palladium, Rhodium, Ruthenium (atomic wt 100,
density 11-12 g/cc)
Gold (atomic wt 196, density 19.3 g/cc)
(Silver?)
Precious metals
◦ Indicates how expensive a metal is based on
supply and demand.
◦ **The descriptors precious and semiprecious
should be avoided because they are imprecise
terms.
Gold content of a dental alloy
◦ Karat (K)
Parts of pure gold per 24 parts of alloy . e.g. 18K,
24K
◦ Fineness
Parts of pure gold per 1,000 parts of alloy.
e.g. a 650 fine alloy has a gold content of 65%
Primarily used for gold solders
Pennyweight (dwt.)
◦ 1 dwt = 1.555 gm = 0.05 oz
ADA
Specification
#5 Principal
Elements
ADA’s
Descriptive
Classification
Classification
Referred to Gold-based alloys
• Alloys can have any composition as long as they pass t
he tests for toxicity, tarnish, yield strength, and perce
nt elongation.
Type %Au & Pt VHN Restoration
I (soft) 83 50-90 Inlay
II (medium) 78 90-120 Inlay/onlay
Onlay/Crown
III (hard) 78 120-150
&Bridge
IV (extra- Crown&Bridg
75 150-250
hard) e/RPD
1. High noble (HN)
2. Noble (N)
3. (Predominantly) Base metal (PB)
Alloy Type Total Noble Metal Content
ce
Higher melting temp th
an porcelain
Palladium (Pd)
Gallium (Ga)
Added to high Pd alloys or non-silver Au/Pd metal ceramic alloys to
compensate for a decrease in the TCOE caused by the elimination of the
Ag.
(Also provides oxides for ceramic bonding)
II 77 7 14 1 - Balance
No Copper!
some important Requirements
Must have the potential to bond to dental porcelain
need oxide-forming elements (small amount of base metals)
Posses coefficient of thermal contraction compatible with t
hose of dental porcelains
Sufficiently high solidus temp (fusing temp) to permit the
application of low-fusing porcelains
>100°C than the firing temp of the ceramic
Ceramic-Metal Bond
Typically, TCOE of porcelain = 13.0 to 14.0 x 10-6/°C
and the metals = 13.5 to 14.5 x 10-6/°C .
The difference of 0.5 x 10-6/°C causes the metal to
contract slightly more than does the ceramic durin
g cooling after firing the porcelain.
This condition puts the ceramic under slight resid
ual compression, which makes it less sensitive to a
pplied tensile forces.
Chemical bonding by oxide layer.
Also micromechanical bonding is there.
Palladium in PFM Alloys
Hardens the alloy
Whitens the alloy
Increases the alloy’s casting temp.
Increases the alloy’s MOE
Renders silver tarnish resistant
Decreases the alloy’s density
Decreases the alloy’s thermal coef. of exp.
In, Sn, Fe, Ga - provide metallic oxides for porcelain bondin
g, and harden the alloy.
Ga - increases the thermal coef. of exp. to compensate for d
ecreased or absence of Ag.
Considerations on
Melting
Properties
Range
The solidus-liquidus range should be narrow to avoid having the
alloy in a molten state for extended times during casting.
To decrease oxides and contamination
Liquidus temp determines the burnout temp, type of investment,
and type of heat-source.
Burnout temp liquidus temp – 500°C
Burnout temp >700°C, cannot use gypsum-bonded investment
Liquidus temp: Base-metal 1400°-1500°C vs. cast gold Type I-IV
800°-1050°C
Liquidus temp < 1100°C gas-air torch, >1100°C gas-oxygen
torch or electrical induction
Solidus temp is important to soldering and formation of ordered
phases.
Limit heating to 50°C below the solidus temp.
Density