GOOD

AFTERNOON…

The quieter you

become, the
more you can
hear..
ALLOYS IN DENTISTRY…

Guided by:
Dr. Manesh
Lahori
Proff & Head
Dept. Of
Prosthodontics
 CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 CLASSIFICATION OF DENTAL CASTING
ALLOYS
 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF CASTING
ALLOY
 CRITERIA FOR SELECTING ALLOY
 STRUCTURE OF METALS
 INDIVIDUAL METALS
 CONTENTS

 GOLD ALLOYS
 HIGH-NOBLE AND NOBLE METAL ALLOYS
 PREDOMINANTLY BASE METAL ALLOYS
 PURE TITANIUM AND TITANIUM ALLOYS
 WROUGHT ALLOYS
 STAINLESS STEEL
 NICKEL- TITANIUM ALLOYS (NITINOL)
 INTRODUCTION

Dental alloys play a prominent role in the restoration of

dental disease. This role has changed significantly in recent
years with the improvement of all-ceramic restorations and
the development of more durable resin-based composites.
However, alloys continue to be used as the principle
material for fixed prosthetic restorations and will likely be
the principle material for years to come. No other material
has the combination of strength, modulus, wear resistance,
and biologic compatibility that a material must have to
survive long term in the mouth.
Metal handbook in 1992 defined metal as ``an opaque lustrous
chemical substance that is good conductor of heat and
electricity and when polished is good reflector of light.”
An Alloy is defined for dental purpose as, ‘metal containing
two or more elements, at least one of which is metal and all of
which are mutually soluble in the molten state.’
 Classification of dental
casting alloys

1.According to use:

• All metal inlays, crowns and bridges.

• Metal ceramic restorations
• Removable partial dentures
• Implants.
2. According to major element present:

• Gold alloy
• Silver alloy
• Palladium alloy
• Nickel alloy
• Cobalt alloy
• Titanium alloy
3. According to nobility:
In 1984, the ADA proposed a simple classification for
dental casting alloys.

ALLOY TYPE TOTAL NOBLE METAL CONTENT

High Noble (HN) Contains  40 wt% Au + 60 wt% of noble metal
elements (Au + Ir + Os + Pd + Rh + Ru).
Noble metal (N) Contains  25 wt% of the noble metal elements.
Predominantly base Contains < 25 wt% of the noble metal elements.
metal (PB)
4. According to the number of alloying elements

• Binary alloy – if two elements are present

• Ternary alloy – if three elements are present
• Quaternary alloy – if four elements are present

5. According to principal three elements;

• Gold-palladium-silver
• Palladium-silver-tin
• Nickel-chromium-beryllium
• Cobalt-chromium-molybdenum
• Titanium-molybdenum-vanadium
• Iron-nickel-chromium
6. According to Functions:
According to ADA specification No.5
• Type-I (Soft): For restorations subject to very slight stress. It is used
for fabrication of small inlays, class III and class V restorations
which are not subjected to great stress. These alloys are easily
burnishable.
• Type-II (Medium): These are used for fabrication of inlays
subjected to moderate stress, thick 3/4 crowns, abutments,
pontics, full crowns.
• Type-III (Hard): For high-stress situations, including onlays, thin 3/4
crowns, thick veneer crowns, thin cast backing abutments,
pontics, full crowns, denture bases and short-span fixed partial
dentures. Type III alloys can be age hardened.
• Type-IV (Extra hard): For extremely high stress states, such as
endodontic posts and cores, bars and clasps, thin veneer crowns,
long span fixed partial dentures and removable partial dentures.
These alloys can be age hardened by heat treatment.
General requirements of
casting alloy
● Biocompatible

Ease of melting, casting, brazing or soldering .

●

● Less solidification shrinkage

● Less reactive with the mold material.

Good wear resistance, strength and sag resistance.

●

● Excellent tarnish and corrosion resistance.

The alloy should not be technique sensitive i.e.it should be easy to cast and
should be compatible with porcelain.

The properties and financial benefit should not outweigh each other.

It should not cause any allergic reaction to the patient and should be free of
toxins.
It should have proven success with lab technician and clinical application.

It should be acceptable according to ISO standards or ADA council on scientific

affairs.

It should have good sag resistance and tarnish and corrosion resistance

Multi-phase alloy should be avoided.

• Pure metal exists as crystalline arrays at atomic level.
• In these arrays atomic centre is occupied by nuclei and core
electron and ionizable electron floats freely among atomic
position.
• With in each array the smallest repeating unit that captures all
relationship among atomic center is called unit cell.
• There are many different types of crystal
structures, some of which are quite
complicated. Fortunately, most metals
crystallize in one of the three relatively simple
(space lattice) structures, namely
– Body-centered cubic (BCC)
– Face-centered cubic (FCC)
– Hexagonal close-packed (HCP)
• Body centered cubic cell
In this metallic atoms are located at the corners of unit cell
and one atom is at the centre of the unit cell.
• Face centered cubic arrays
Has 90-degree angles and atomic centers that are
equidistant horizontally and vertically, but atoms are located in
center of face with no atom in center of unit cell.
• Hexagonal closed packed cell
Atoms are equidistant from each other in horizontal plane
but not in vertical plane.
 Methods of Alloying
• By melting together the base metal (main)
and the alloying element, mixing them
thoroughly, and allowing the mixture to cool
and solidify. This is a common method.
• Sintering or by powder metallurgy: Metals are
powdered, mixed and pressed to the desired
shape and then heated but not melted till the
powders unite to form a solid mass.

20
 Objectives of Alloying
1. To increase hardness and strength.
2. To lower the melting point.
3. To increase fluidity of liquid metal.
4. To increase resistance to tarnish and
corrosion.

21
 Objectives of Alloying (Contd.)
5. To make casting or working on the metal
easy.
6. To change the microscopic structure of the
metal.
7. To change the color of the metal.
8. To provide special electrical and magnetic
properties.

22
When two metals are completely miscible in
liquid state, they are capable of forming any
alloy. When such a combination is cooled, one of
the three possibilities may take place :

a) Solid solution
b) Intermetallic compound
c) Eutectic formation
 Solid Solution (Contd.)
• The solid-solution alloys may be;

1. SUBSTITUTIONAL SOLID SOLUTION ALLOY -

the atoms of one metal replaces the atoms of
parent metal in the space lattice and occupies
that place. Such a substitutional solid solution
alloy can have TWO TYPES of lattice
arrangement.

24
Eutectic mixture

They occur when the metals are miscible in the

liquid state but separate in the solid state. The
two metals will be precipitated as very fine
layers of one metal over the other one : such a
combination as is called an eutectic mixture.
E.g.,72 % silver, 28 % copper.
 Eutectic Alloys
• Complete in-solubility in solid state.
• The ingredient metals are soluble in each
other in liquid state, but separate out
(precipitate) as different layers in solid state.
• Example, silver and copper alloy.

26
 Eutectic Alloys (Contd.)
• These alloys are called eutectic because the
temperature at which this occurs is lower than
the fusion temperature of either constituent
metals.

• Example, Ag-72 per cent and Cu-28 per cent

27
 Inter metallic Compounds
• Inter metallic compounds are those when the
metals are soluble in the liquid state but unite
and form a chemical compound on solidifying.
• They are called inter metallic compounds
because the alloy is formed by a chemical
reaction between a metal and metal.

28
 Heat Treatment
• Heat treatment (not melting) of metals in the
solid state is called SOLID STATE REACTIONS.
• This is a method to cause diffusion of atoms of
the alloy by heating a solid metal to a certain
temperature and for certain period of time.
• This will result in. the changes in the
microscopic structure and physical properties.

29
 Heat Treatment (Contd.)
• Important criteria in this process are:
1. Composition of alloy
2. Temperature to which it is heated
3. Time of heating
4. Method of cooling - cooling slowly in
the air or quenching rapidly in cold
water.

30
 Purpose of Heat Treatment
• Shaping and working on the appliance in the
laboratory is made easy when the alloy is soft.
This is the first stage and is called softening
heat treatment.
• To harden the alloy for oral use, so that it will
withstand oral stresses. The alloy is again
heated and this time it is called hardening
heat treatment.

31
 Types of Heat Treatment
• Softening Heat treatment

• Hardening Heat treatment

• Solution Heat treatment

• Age Hardening

32
 Softening heat treatment
• Also known as ANNEALING. This is done for
structures which are cold worked.
• Technique - alloy is placed in an electric
furnace at a temperature of 700°C for 10
minutes and then rapidly cooled (quenched).

33
 Softening heat treatment(Contd.)
• Result of this is reduction in strength,
hardness and pro­portional limit but increase
in ductility. In other words the metal becomes
soft. This is also known as HOMOGENIZATION
TREATMENT.

34
 Hardening heat treatment
• This is done for cast removable partial
dentures, saddles, bridges, but not for
Inlays.
• Technique - The appliance (alloy) is heat
soaked at a temperature between 200-
450°C for 15-30 minutes and then rapidly
cooled by quenching.

35
 Hardening heat treatment(Contd.)
• The result of this is increase in strength,
hardness and proportional limit but reduction
in ductility.
• Also known as ORDER HARDENING or
PRECIPITATION HARDENING.

36
 Solution Heat Treatment Or Solution-
Hardening
• When the alloy is heat soaked, any
precipitations formed during earlier heat
treatment, will now once again become
soluble in the solvent metal.
• Technique is same as softening heat
treatment.

37
 Age Hardening
• After solution heat treatment, the alloy is
once again heated to bring about further
precipitation and this time it shows in the
metallography as a fine dispersed phase.
• This also causes hardening of the alloy and is
known as age hardening because the alloy will
maintain its quality for many years.

38
Noble metals:
Noble metals are elements with good metallic surface
that retain their surface in dry air. The noble metals have
been the basis of inlays, crowns, and bridges, because of
their resistance to corrosion in the oral cavity.
Gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium,
osmium, and silver are the eight noble metals. However,
in the oral cavity, silver is more reactive and therefore is
not considered as a noble metal.
 
GOLD-
• Pure gold is a soft and ductile.
• Good luster and high polish.
• Good chemical stability. Does not tarnish and corrode
• Not soluble in sulphuric, nitric or HCl acids. Dissolves in aqua regia, pot.
cyanide
• Characteristic yellow colour with a strong metallic luster. Yellow “Gold”
hue.
• Ranks lowest in strength.
• As pure gold is soft it is alloyed with metals such as copper, silver,
platinum and other metals to improve its hardness , durability, and
elasticity.

Density CTE-
19.3 gms/cm3 14.2×10-6/°C
PLATINUM –
• Bluish-white metal.
• Tough , ductile, malleable and can be produced as foil or fine-
drawn wire.
• It lightens the color of yellow gold-based alloys.
• Used for pins and posts in crown and bridges.
• It is major component of alloy in complex crown and bridges
as it has excellent wear characteristics and high melting
ranges.

Density Boiling
Melting CTE-8.910-
21.45 point- 4530
point-1769oC 6/o C
gms/cm3 oC
PALLADIUM-
• White metal darker than platinum.
• Not used in pure state but used in combination with Au ,Ag
,Cu , Ga .
• It is similar to platinum in its effect. It hardens as well as
whitens the alloy.
• Raises the fusion temperature and provides tarnish
resistance.
• Less expensive than platinum.
Density Boiling
Melting CTE-
12.02gms/c point- 3980
point-1552oC 11.810-/oC
m3 oC
IRIDIUM, RUTHENIUM, RHODIUM -
• Ir and Ru is used in traces as grain refiner to keep
grain size small.
• 50ppm of Ir is effective to reduce the grain size.
• These elements do not melt during casting alloy
hence serve as nucleating centre for melt as it cools.
• Rh has high melting point and used in alloy with Pt
to form wire for thermocouple to measure
temperature of porcelain furnace.
• They are added in very small quantities (about 100 to
150 ppm).
SILVER-
• It is a precious metal but not a noble metal.
• It is malleable, ductile, white metal.
• It is stronger and harder than gold but softer than copper.
• It is a reactive metal. It reacts with sulfur, chlorine and phosphorus.
Pure silver in not used in dentistry as it forms black sulfide on
metals in mouth.
• Silver neutralizes the reddish color of gold based alloy and also
provide hardness to the alloy .
• Properties of silver:
Melting CTE-
Atomic Density-
point- 19.710-
mass-107.87 10.49g/cc
961.9`C 6/oC.
Base metals:
These are non-noble metals. They are
invaluable components of dental casting alloys
because of their influences on physical
properties, control of the amount and type of
oxidation, or their strengthening effect. Such
metals are reactive with their environment,
and are referred to as “base metals”.
NICKEL-
• It is white and hard metal.
• It is common component of non-noble alloy.
• It increases the strength and gives white color to gold based
alloys when used in small amount.
• Decreases Strength, hardness, modulus of elasticity and
fusion temp.
• Increases ductility. It is the most common metal to cause
Contact dermatitis.
Density Boiling
Melting CTE-
8.9 gm/cm3 point- 2730
point-1453°C 13.310-6/oC
°C
CHROMIUM-
• Passivating effect ensures corrosion resistance.
• Higher proportion greater tarnish and corrosion resistance.
• Reduces the melting point.
• 30% chromium is the upper limit to get maximum mechanical
properties.

Density CTE-
Boiling point- Melting point
7.19 gm/cm3 6.210-6/ oC
2665 °C 1875°C
COBALT-
• Provides hardness ,strength, rigidity to the alloy.

Density
Boiling
8.85 Melting CTE-
gm/cm3 point- 2900
point-1495°C 13.810-6/oC
°C
COPPER-
• It is malleable, ductile metal with high thermal and electric
conductivity.
• It has characteristics red color.
• It is also important component dental solders.
• It is the principal hardener.
• Reduces the melting point and density of gold.
• In greater amounts it reduces resistance to tarnish and corrosion
of the gold alloy. Therefore, the maximum content should not
exceed 16%.

CTE-
Melting
Boiling point Density- 16.5 10-
point-
2595 °C 8.92g/cc 6/°C .
1083.4`C
ZINC-
• Zinc in pure form is soft, brittle and has low
strength. It is a bluish-white metal.
• It has tendency for tarnish.
• It is used in small amount i.e. 1-2%.
• Zinc act as scavenger of oxygen.

Boiling Density- Melting CTE

temperat
point of 7.14g/c ure- 39.71
906 °C c 419..6`C 0-6/oC
MOLYBDENUM OR TUNGSTEN-
• They are effective hardeners.
• Molybdenum is preferred as it reduces ductility to a lesser
extent than tungsten.
• Molybdenum refines grain structure.

Density Boiling
Melting CTE-
10.22 point-5560
point-2610°C 4.9 10-6/oC
gm/cm3 °C
Tin(Sn)-
• It is lustrous , soft, white metal and does not tarnish.
• In some gold based alloy it is present in small amount (5% by
wt).
• It is also present in gold based solders.
• Along with Pt and Pd it hardens the alloy and also increases
the brittleness.

Density
Melting point-232.0`C
7.29 gms/cm3
IRON, BERYLLIUM-
• They help to harden the metal ceramic gold - palladium alloys,
iron being the most effective. In addition, beryllium reduces
fusion temperature and refines grain structure .

MANGANESE-
• Primarily oxide scavengers to prevent oxidation of other
elements during melting. They are hardeners.  
GALLIUM- 
• Gallium is grayish metal.
• Prone to tarnish
• Used in some gold palladium based alloy
• Oxides of gallium is important for binding ceramic with metal.
• It is added to compensate for the decreased coefficient of thermal
expansion that results when the alloy is made silver free.
• It is effective in lowering the melting point of the alloy.

INDIUM-
• It is soft , grey white metal.
• It does not tarnish by air or water.
• In some gold based alloy it act as replacement for zinc.
• In palladium-silver alloy it is used in greater amount (30% by wt) as
it give yellow color to the alloy.
• Pure gold is a soft and ductile metal and so it is not used for casting
dental restorations and appliances. Dental casting gold’s are alloyed
with copper, silver, platinum, palladium, nickel and zinc. Alloying
gold with these metals not only improve its physical and mechanical
properties but also reduce its cost.
• Earlier the psychological preference was for the yellow color of gold.
Currently the trend is to avoid display of the metal. At the same
time increase in the platinum, palladium, and silver content of
modern alloys have resulted in whiter colored gold alloys. Thus,
there are ‘yellow gold alloys’ and ‘white gold alloys’.
• The rise in gold prices has also led to the availability of alloys with
low gold content. These are the ‘low gold’s.
 Carat and fineness of gold-
based alloys
• Carat represents the gold content of alloy in 1/24 part of
whole.
• The 24 carats indicates the pure gold.
• The carat of an alloy is designated by k.

• Fineness also refers only to gold content, and represents the

number of parts of gold in each 1000 parts of alloy.
• 24 k is 100% gold or 1000 fineness.

• It is important to emphasize that the term carat and fineness

refer only to gold content, not noble-metal content.
• ADA specification No. 5 classify dental gold casting alloys as:

1. High Gold Alloys

 Type I
 Type II Inlay Gold Alloy
 Type III
 Type IV Crown & Bridge Alloy

2.Low Gold Alloys

3. White Gold Alloys

 Composition of gold alloys

type %Au %Cu %Ag %Pd %Pt %In,Sn,Fe,

Zn,Ga
I 83 6 10 0.5 - balance
II 77 7 14 1 - balance
III 75 9 11 3.5 - balance
IV 69 10 12.5 3.5 3 balance
 Properties Of Gold Alloys:
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

• Density:
Type III - 15.5 gms/cm3
Type IV - 15.2 gms/cm3
The castability of an alloy is also affected by density. Alloys
having higher density cast better than alloys with lower
density.

• Melting range:
The melting range sets the basis for casting temperature.
Type III - 932 to 9600C
Type IV - 921 to 9430C
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:

• Yield strength:
Indicates the capacity of the alloy to withstand
mechanical stresses without permanent
deformation.
  Yield strength increases from type I to type IV.
Type III - 207 Mpa
Type IV - 275 Mpa
• Hardness:
It indicates the suitability of the alloy for clinical use.
Type III - 121 VHN
Type IV - 149 VHN
• Elongation:
It indicates the ductility of the alloy.
Type III - 30 to 40%
Type IV - 30 to 35%
 
• Modulus of elasticity:
Gold alloys are more flexible than base metal alloys.

• Tarnish and corrosion resistance:

Gold alloys are resistant to tarnish and corrosion in the oral
cavity. This is due to their high noble metal content.

• Biocompatibility:
Gold alloys are relatively biocompatible.
• Casting shrinkage:
Most metals and alloys including gold and the noble metal
alloys shrink when they change from the liquid to the solid state.
The shrinkage occurs in three stages.
1.The thermal contraction of the liquid metal
2.The contraction of the metal from liquid to solid shape.
3.The thermal contraction of the solid metal that occurs down to
room temperature.

Alloy Casting shrinkage

  Type-I Gold base. 1.56
Type-II Gold base. 1.37
Type-III Gold base. 1.42
Ni-Cr-Mo-Be 2.3
Co-Cr-Mo Base 2.3
metal
Linear solidification shrinkage of casting alloys.
• Casting investment:
Gypsum – bonded investments are used for
gold based crown and bridge alloys because of
their lower fusion temperature.
Heat Treatment Of Gold Alloys:

Heat treatment of alloys is done in order to

alter its mechanical properties.
Gold alloys can be heat treated if it contains
sufficient amount of copper. Only type III and
type IV gold alloys can be heat-treated.
There are two types of heat treatment.
– Softening Heat Treatment (Solution heat treatment)
– Hardening Heat Treatment (Age hardening)
• SOFTENING HEAT TREATMENT
Indications:
It is indicated for appliances that are to be grounded, shaped,
or otherwise cold worked in or outside the mouth.

Softening heat treatment reduces;

• Tensile strength.
• Proportional limit.
• Hardness
• But improves ductility

Method:
The casting is placed in an electric furnace for 10 minutes at a
temperature of 700oC and then it is quenched in water.
• HARDENING HEAT TREATMENT
Indications:
It is indicated for metallic partial dentures, saddles, bridges and other
similar structures. It is not employed for smaller structures such as inlays.

Age hardening improves;

• Strength (yield).
• Proportional limit.
• Hardness.

Method:
It is done by “soaking” or ageing the casting at a specific temperature for
a definite time, usually 15 to 30 minutes. It is then water quenched. The
aging temperature depends on the alloy composition but is generally
between 200°C and 450°C.
• There are three classes of high- noble metal alloys
Au-Ag-Pt
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-I
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-II

• Four classes of noble metal alloys.

Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-III
Au-Ag-Pd-In
Pd-Cu-Ga
Ag-Pd
 Composition

HIGH-NOBLE Ag Au Cu Pd Pt Zn Other
Wt% Wt% Wt% Wt% Wt% Wt%

Au-Ag-Pt 11.5 78.1 - - 9.9 - Ir(traces)

Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-I 10.0 76.0 10.5 2.4 0.1 1.0 Ru(traces)
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-II 25.0 56.0 11.8 5.0 0.4 1.7 Ir(traces)
 NOBLE Ag Au Cu Pd Pt Zn other
Wt% Wt% Wt% Wt% Wt% Wt%
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-III 47.0 40.0 7.5 4.0 - 1.5 Ir(traces)
Au-Ag-Pd-In 38.7 20.0 - 21.0 - 3.8 In 16.5
Pd-Cu-Ga - 2.0 10.0 77.0 - - Ga 7.0
Ag-Pd 70.0 - - 25.0 - 2.0 In 3.0
Properties of high noble and
noble metals alloy
 Melting range

Solidous(`C) Liquidous(`C)
Au-Ag-Pt 1045 1140
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-I 910 965
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-II 870 920
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-III 865 925
Au-Ag-Pd-In 875 1035
Pd-Cu-Ga 1100 1190
Ag-Pd 1020 1100
• Liquidus temperature determine
Burnout temperature, type of investment material
to be used ,type of heat source that should be used
during casting.

• Solidus temperature is important to soldering and

formation of ordered phase.
 Density

• It is important during acceleration of molten alloy

into the mold.

• Alloy with higher density accelerate faster and form

complete cast easily.

• High density is present in alloy containing denser

element like Au and Pt.
 Elongation

• It is the measure of ductility of alloy.

• It is sensitive to the presence or absence of ordered

phase.

• in hard condition elongation decreases whereas in

soft condition it rangers from 8 to 30%
 DENSITY ELONGATION(soft) ELONGATION(hard)
(g/cc) % %
Au-Ag-Pt 18.4 15 9

Au-CuAg-Pd-I 15.6 30 12

Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-II 13.8 30 10

Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-III 12.4 27.5 10

Au-Ag-Pd-In 11.4 12 8
Pd-Cu-Ga 10.6 8
Ag-Pd 10.6 10 8
 Strength
Yeild strength determine stress at which permanent deformation of alloy
can occur.

YEILD YEILD
STERNGTH(SOFT) STRENGTH(HARD)
Mpa Mpa
Au-Ag-Pt 420 470
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-I 270 400
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-II 350 600
Au-Cu-Ag-Pd-III 325 520
Au-Ag-Pd-In 300 370
Pd-Cu-Ga 1145
Ag-PD 260 320
 Biocompatibility
• Alloy with high-noble metal content releases less mass than
alloy with little or no noble metal content.
• They are of three type:

1.Nickel based alloy

2.Cobalt based alloy

3.Titanium alloys
Composition of nickel chromium
alloy.
metal Wt%
nickel 61-81
chromium 11-27
molybdenum 2-4
(one or more will be present) traces
Aluminium,beryllium,boron,ca
rbon,cobalt,copper,gallium,iro
n,magnese,silicon,tin…
Composition of cobalt – chromium
alloy
metal Wt%
cobalt 55-65
chromium 23-30
molybdenum 0-7
nickel 0-20
Iron 0-5
carbon Upto 0.4
Silicon ,magnese, berylium In traces
• According to ANSI/ADA specification no.14.

Weight of chromium should not be less than 20% and

combined weight of cobalt, chromium, nickel should not be
less than 85%

And also minimum value of elongation-1.5%, yield

strength-500MPa,elastic modulus-170GPa
 Properties of base metals
alloys
Density
8 8
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Co-Cr Ni-Cr
density (g/cc)
 Elongation

elongation %

4
3.5
3
Elongation(%)

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Co-Cr
Ni-Cr
 Yield strength and tensile strength
Strength (MPa)

Yield and tensile strength of base metal alloys

900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
Tensile strength(Mpa)
100
0
Co-Cr yeild strength(Mpa)
Ni-Cr
 Melting temperature

1500
1500

1450

1400
1350
1350

1300

1250
Co-Cr
Ni-Cr
Melting temperature (`c)
 Casting shrinkage

Ni-Cr 2

Co-Cr 2.3

1.85 1.9 1.95 2 2.05 2.1 2.15 2.2 2.25 2.3 2.35
casting shrinkage (%)
 Biocompatibility

Toxicity potential of cobalt- chromium alloy is

insignificant. But nickel may produce allergic reaction
in some individuals.
Beryllium is potentially a toxic substance,
inhalation of beryllium dust or vapor may cause
berylliossis .
 Corrosion resistance

Co-Cr and Ni- Cr has very good corrosion

resistance due to passivating effect of chromium. As
Cr is electrochemically active it react readily to form
chromic oxide which protect the bulk of alloy.
 Titanium is referred as `material of choice’ in
dentistry as it is resistant to electrochemical
degradation, biocompatible, light wt, low density,
high strength. And it forms most stable oxide layer .
 Classification
TITANIUM N C H Fe O Al V Ti
cp Grade I 0.03 0.10 0.015 0.02 0.18 - - Balance
cp Grade II 0.03 0.10 0.015 0.03 0.25 - - Balance
cp Grade III 0.03 0.10 0.015 0.03 0.35 - - Balance
cp Grade IV 0.03 0.10 0.015 0.05 0.40 - - Balance
Ti-6Al-4V 0.05 0.08 0.015 0.30 0.20 5.50-6.75 3.50-4.50 Balance
alloy
Ti-6Al-4V ELI 0.05 0.08 0.012 0.10 0.13 5.50-6.50 3.50-4.50 Balance
alloy
 Commercially pure (C.P. Ti)

• Commercially pure Ti (C.P. Ti) is used in

dental implants, surface coating, crown, partial
and complete denture.
• It is available in four grades which varies according
to :
Oxygen content - 0.18 to 0.40wt%
Iron content - 0.20 to 0.50wt%
• C.p.Ti occur in different crystal lattice at different temperature

At room ●
●Hexagonal closed packed
temperatu crystal lattice
●Denoted as alpha α phase
●

re
On
●
Body centered cubic phase
heating ●
Denoted as beta β phase
(at 883`C)
• There are many Ti alloy available like Ti-
30Pd,Ti-20Cu,Ti-15V and Ti-6AL-4V.

• Most commonly used Ti alloy is Ti-6Al-4V.

 Titanium-Aluminium-
Vanadium Alloy
• Composition
Ti – 89%
Al – 6.8%
V – 4.1%

• At room temperature it exist in two phase (α + β) and

at 975`C it forms single phase BCC β alloy.
• Microstructure with small α-grain size, small
α/βinterface and well spread β phase have better
fatigue strength in comparison to lamellar
microstructure with greater α/β surface and more
oriented colonies.
Properties of C.P. Ti and Ti-6Al-4V
 Casting Titanium
• The two most important factors in casting titanium based
materials are the high melting point, & high chemical
reactivity.

• Pure titanium melts at 3,035°F (1,668°C) and reacts

readily with conventional investments and gases like
oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. In addition because of its low
specific gravity, titanium flows less easily that gold alloy
when cast in centrifugal casting machine. Therefore, it
must be cast and soldered with special equipment in
oxygen free environment.
• So for casting of titanium, either,

Surface
Other
coating
investment
the internal
materials
surface
areofused.
the mould
• These are alloys that are worked and adapted for use
in dental restoration.

• These alloys are cold work i.e. the work done is at

temperature far below the solidus temperature.
• These alloys are used mainly in two ways;

1.Can be soldered to previous cast restoration.

Eg wrought clasp on RPD.

2.Can be embedded to a cast framework by casting to

alloy .
• Microstructure of wrought alloys are fibrous as the
result of cold work done to shape the alloy.

• Wire and other wrought form has increased tensile

strength and hardness as compared to corresponding
cast structure.
 Composition

Alloy Ag Au Cu Pd Pt other
Pt-Au-Pd - 27 - 27 45
Au-Pt-Pd - 60 - 15 24 Ir 1.0
Au-Pt-Cu-Ag 8.5 60 10 5.5 16
Au-Pt-Ag-Cu 14 63 9 - 14
Au-Ag-Cu-Pd 18.5 63 12 5 - Zn 1.5
Pd-Ag-Cu 39 - 16 43 1
 Properties
Solidus temperature of wrought alloys.

temperature (`C)

1500
1400

1045 1060
935 875
temperature (`C)

-Pd t-P
d
-Ag -Cu -Pd -Cu
t -A
u
u-
P
t-C
u
-t A
g
-Cu -Ag
P A P P A g Pd
u- Au
- -
A Au
Yield Strength

yield strength(Mpa)
yeild strenght (Mpa)

750

450
400 450 515
400

Pt-Au-Pd
Au-Pt-Pd
Au-Pt-Cu-Ag
Au-Pt-Ag-Cu
Au-Ag-Cu-Pd
Pd-Au-Cu
Elongation

elongation%

Pd-Ag-Cu

Au-Ag-Cu-Pd

Au-Pt-Ag-Cu

Au-Pt-Cu-Ag

Au-Pt-Pd

Pt-Au-Pd
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
 STAINLESS STEEL

• This was first discovered by Breareley of

Sheffield, England in 1913.

• Stainless steel is an alloy of steel containing

minimum of 10 - 11% chromium.

• It is chromium which makes the steel resistant

to tarnish and corrosion.
There are three forms of stainless steel:

• Ferritic- Have BCC space structure. Solid iron in which carbon is insoluble,
because of small space in between atoms. This condition remains from
room temperature to 9120C.

• Austenitic- Have FCC space structure. Exists at temperature between 912-

1394 0C. Carbon is soluble, because the space between the atoms is larger
and so the carbon atoms occupy these spaces to form interstitial solid
solution.

• Martensitic- If such a austenitic steel at a temperature above 912 0 C is

suddenly cooled , it undergoes transformation in its structure to form a
body centered tetragonal structure called martensite. This change makes
the metal hard, strong but brittle.

• 18-8 stainless steel is a special and famous type of austenitic ,and called so
because it contains 18% chromium & 8% nickel.
TEMPERING
• Such hard steel can be heated to 200-4500C for short period and
cooled rapidly to adjust the precise hardness and strength
required to reduce brittleness. This process is known as tempering

SENSITIZATION
• It is the loss of corrosion resistance of 18-8 stainless steel due to
removal of chromium from it. This happens when it is heated to
temp between 400-9000 C, say during soldering or welding
therefore this condition is also called WELD DECAY.
• Stabilization - method to minimize sensitization. Stabilizing
element – titanium.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:
• Tensile Strength-2100 Mpa
• Yield Strength - 1400 Mpa
• Hardness - 600 KHN

USES OF 18-8 STAINLESS STEEL:

• In Prosthetics
For Partial Denture Clasps ,Bars
For implants.
• In Orthodontics
For Wires, Ribbons, Bands, Bows, Hooks, Springs.
ADVANTAGES OF 18-8 STAINLESS STEEL

• Heat and Corrosion Resistance.

• More Ductile and Can Be Cold Worked.
• Can Be Easily Welded.
• Hardened by Cold Working.
• Can Be Stabilized Against Corrosion.
 NICKEL- TITANIUM ALLOYS
(NITINOL)

•It was introduced in 1972

•It is characterized by high resiliency, limited
formability, thermal memory
COMPOSITION:
Ni-54%,
 Ti-44%,
 Co-2%
 Properties
Shape Memory effect-
• It is the ability of the alloy to retain and memorize a
particular shape given to it
• Structure of nitinol at room temperature is austentic phase
when this is heated it changes to HCP martensitic phase.
• This change is responsible for shape memory effect.

Superelasticity-
• It is a large plastic deformation induced in a alloy which
generates constant stress when the material undergoes
transformational change.
 Density Fusion Casting Tensile Hardness Elongation
(g/cc) temp. shrinkage strength (Vickers) (%)
O
C % (Mpa)

Co-Cr 8 1500 2.3 850 400 2

Ni-Cr 8 1350 2.0 600 300 Upto 30
Type III 15 <1000 1.4 540 150 20(cast),
gold 10(hardened)
alloy

Type IV 15 <1000 1.4 750 250 15(cast) ,

gold 8 (hardened)
alloy
SUCCESS
is how high
you bounce
when you
hit bottom..
George Smith
Patton