Many of the properties are related to the fi ller

content of the pastes. The trends are identical to

those given in Table 19.3 for polysulphides. In the
case of the silicones an additional, very high viscosity
or putty paste exists which has even lower
setting and thermal contraction values than the
conventional heavy-bodied materials. It also has
better dimensional stability.
Dimensional changes after setting, for condensation
curing silicones, may be due to continued
slow setting or due to loss of alcohol produced as
a byproduct of the setting reaction. The latter
effect produces a measurable weight loss which is
accompanied by a shrinkage of the impression
material. Dimensional changes of regular-bodied
condensation silicones are slightly greater than
those of regular-bodied polysulphides but are
small compared to the changes which occur with
168 Chapter 19

Fig. 19.5 Condensation type silicone elastomer. (a) Hydroxylterminated polydimethylsiloxane prepolymer
(mixed with
inert filler to form paste). (b) Tetraethyl silicate (cross-linking agent). (c) Cross-linking reaction, catalysed by a
tin
compound. Ethyl alcohol is liberated as a byproduct.

alginates. In order to obtain optimum accuracy,

the models should be cast as soon as possible after
recording the impression.
Silicone elastomers may be considered essentially
non-toxic, despite the fact that they contain
a heavy metal catalyst. The materials are extremely
hydrophobic and are in the patients mouth for
only a few minutes. The liquid component of
the paste/liquid materials may be hazardous if
not handled carefully. Accidental splashes may
cause considerable irritation and blistering of
the eyes.

A signifi cant advance in recent years has been

the availability of addition curing silicones in an
auto mixed, cartridge format (Fig. 19.7). The two
pastes are housed in separate compartments of the
cartridge and are brought together and mixed in
the nozzle during extrusion. The mixed material
can be extruded into an impression tray or, for
light-bodied material, into an impression syringe
or directly into the mouth. Light-bodied and
regular-bodied materials lend themselves readily
to the cartridge extrusion system. Some manufacturers
have also managed to package heavy-bodied
and even soft putty materials in this way. At least
one manufacturer has taken automixing a stage
further by producing an electrically driven mixing
device which is loaded with bulk quantities of
material (suffi cient for about 20 impressions).
When required, mixed material is produced at the
touch of a button.
Fig. 19.9 shows such a mixing device which, in
principle, is a larger and more automated version
of the hand-held cartridges (Fig. 19.7). Both
systems suffer the drawback that the mixing
nozzle is disposable and a new one is required for
each mix and the discarded nozzle contains signifi
cant quantities of wasted material.