Dental Casting Alloys

Applications

All metal restoration

Removable Partial Denture (RPD)

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

3
 History

• 1907 : Lost wax technique by Taggart

• 1932 - 1948 : Standardization of dental casting
alloys
• 1950s -1960s : Development of porcelain-fused-
to-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.

4
 History

• 1970s : Placement of gold on the free

market
– Increased prices stimulates the search for
alternative low gold and base metal
alloys.

5
 Terminology

• 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?)

6
 Terminology

• 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.

7
 Terminology

• Gold content of a dental alloy

– Karat, Carat (K)
• Parts of pure gold per 24, e.g. 18K, 24K
– Fineness
• Parts of pure gold per 1,000
– 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

8
 Classification

ADA Principal
Specification Elements
#5

ADA’s Descriptive
Classification Classification

9
 ANSI/ADA
Specification #5
• Referred to Gold-based alloys
– Alloys can have any composition as long as they
pass the tests for toxicity, tarnish, yield strength,
and percent elongation.
Type %Au & Pt VHN Restoration
I (soft) 83 50-90 Inlay
Strength

II (medium) 78 90-120 Inlay/onlay

III (hard) 78 120-150 Onlay/Crown&B

ridge
IV (extra-hard) 75 150-250 Crown&Bridge/
RPD
10
 ADA’s Classification
(1984)
1. High noble (HN)
2. Noble (N)
3. (Predominantly) Base metal (PB)
Alloy Type Total Noble Metal Content
High noble metal Contains > 40 wt% Au and > 60% of the
noble metal elements
Noble metal Contains > 25 wt% of the noble meal
elements (Au, Pd, Pt)
Base metal Contains < 25 wt% of the noble metal
elements

11
*No discrimination among alloys within a given category*
 Principal Elements

• When an alloy is identified according to the

elements it contains, the components are listed in
declining order of composition, with the largest
constituent first followed by the second largest
constituent.
– e.g. Au-Ag-Pt (Au ~ 78%, Ag ~ 12%, Pt ~10%)
• Exception: Certain elements that significantly affect
physical properties or that represent potential
biocompatibility concerns are often designated
(regardless of their small amounts).
– e.g. Au-Cu-Ag-Pd (Au ~40%, Cu ~7.5%, Ag ~47%,
Pd~4%)

13
 Descriptive
Classification
• Normal-fusing alloys • High-fusing alloys
– Medium-gold (mostly for PFM)
– Low-gold – Gold-platinum-palladium
– Silver-palladium – Gold-palladium-silver
– Silver-indium – Gold-palladium
– High-palladium
– Palladium-silver
– Base-metal
• Cr/Co; Cr/Ni

14
 Restoration All-Metal Metal-Ceramic and All-Metal
RPD
Alloy Type Type Restorations Restorations
High Noble Au-Ag-Cu-Pd Au-Pt-Pd Au-Ag-Cu-Pd
> 40 wt% Au and Au-Pd-Ag (5-12 wt% Ag)
> 60% of the
Au-Pd-Ag (>12 wt% Ag)
noble metal
elements Au-Pd (no Ag)
Noble Ag-Pd-Au-Cu Pd-Au (no Ag) Ag-Pd-Au-Cu
> 25 wt% of the Ag-Pd Pd-Au-Ag Ag-Pd
noble metal Pd-Ag
elements Pd-Cu
Pd-Co
Pd-Ga-Ag
Base Metal Pure Ti Pure Ti
< 25 wt% of the Ti-Al-V Ti-Al-V
noble metal Ni-Cr-Mo-Be Ni-Cr-Mo-Be
elements Ni-Cr-Mo Ni-Cr-Mo
Co-Cr-Mo Co-Cr-Mo
Co-Cr-W Co-Cr-W
Fundamental Properties
of Noble Metals
•Gold (Au)
•Platinum (Pt)
•Palladium (Pd)
•Silver (Ag)
•Minor alloying
elements
 Gold (Au)

• Soft, (most) malleable and • Small amounts of impurities

ductile (ie. lead, mercury, base met
• Relatively low strength als) have a pronounced and
• usually detrimental effect on
Tarnish resistant in air and
its properties.
water at any temp.
• Attacked by only a few of
the most powerful oxidizing Fusion temp = 1063°C
agents Density = 19.3 g/cm3
• Insoluble in sulfuric, nitric, Thermal coef. of exp. =
14.2x10-6/°C
or hydrochloric acids
MOE = 80 GPa
• Soluble in a combination of
nitric and sulfuric acids (aqu
a-regia)

17
 Platinum (Pt)

• Tough, malleable and

ductile Fusion temp = 1755°C >Au
Density = 21.37 g/cm3 >Au
• Very high cost (usually Thermal coef. of exp. =
replaced by Pd in most 8.9x10-6/°C <Au
modern alloys) MOE = 147 GPa >Au
• High corrosion
resistance
• Higher melting temp
than porcelain

18
 Palladium (Pd)

• Not used in the pure state

dentistry Fusion temp = 1555°C
• Has replaced Pt in dental Density = 11.4 g/cm3
casting alloys Thermal coef. of exp. =
• Decreased cost v.s. Pt 11.1x10-6/°C
MOE = 112 GPa
• Helps prevent corrosion of
silver in the oral environmen
t
• Absorbs H2 gas when
heated improperly

19
 Silver (Ag)
• “Noble?”
• Malleable and ductile
• Best known conductor of
heat and electricity
• Harder than gold
• Unaltered in clean dry air,
however, combines with
sulfur, chlorine and phosp
horus resulting in severe t
arnish in the oral environ
ment
• Occludes large quantities of
O2 in molten state
• O2 gas will evolve during
solidification resulting in pits
and porosities.
Fusion temp = 960.5°C
Density = 10.4 g/cm3
Thermal coef. of exp. =
19.7x10-6/°C
MOE = 120 GPa
20
Minor Alloying Elements

• Iridium (Ir) - grain refining

• Ruthenium (Ru) - grain refining

21
• Grain refining
– The addition of as little as 50 ppm (0.005%) of Ir
and Ru results in a 100x increase in the no. of gr
ains per unit volume.
– Increases the alloy’s tensile strength and
%elongation by >30%
– Increases tarnish resistance, slightly increases
yield strength
– Does not appreciable affect hardness

22
 Alloys for
All-Metal Restoration
•High-noble and
Noble Metal Alloys
–Au-Ag-Cu-Pd
–Ag-Pd
–Metal Ceramic Alloys
•Base Metal Alloys
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd Alloys

• Primarily ternary alloys of Au, Ag and

Cu, with minor amounts of Pt, Pd and
Zn.
• Approx. >90% of the total alloy content
is Au, Ag and Pd

24
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition
• Gold (Au) • Silver (Ag)
– Tarnish and
corrosion resistance
• Tarnish is an inverse
function of gold
content.
– Contributes
burnishability,
ductility, and ability
to heat harden the
alloy
– Helps control the color
of the alloy, neutralizing
the red color imparted
by Cu
– Promotes ductility
• Au/Cu alloys (75% Au)
break apart at grain
boundaries during heat
treatment if no Ag is
present.
25
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition

• Platinum (Pt) • Palladium (Pd)

– Very expensive – Like Pt but more
ingredient effective and less
– Contributes strength expensive than Pt
– Whitens the alloy Alloying metal of
– Increases the fusion choice v.s. Pt
temperature

26
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition

• Copper (Cu) ***

– Principle hardener in gold alloys
– Conc. >12% of Au amount  alloy can be
heat treated
– Conc. >18%  decrease the melting
temp of the alloy

27
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition

• Copper (Cu) ***

– When alloyed with Ag, Cu increases the alloy’s
hardness and decreases melting temp.
– Cu imparts a reddish color to the metal and
contributes most to the corrosion of gold alloys.
– Ag/Cu ratio is important to tarnish resistance (but
not as important as the Ag/Pd ratio).
– Cu is not found in PFM alloys due to its tendency
to discolor the porcelain.

28
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition

• Zinc (Zn) • Indium (In), Tin

– O2 scavenger (Sn), Iron (Fe)
– 1-2% helps to
– Hardens the alloy
counteract the
absorption of O2 by – (Provides oxides for
ceramic bonding in PFM
silver.
alloys)
– Increases the castability,
decreases porosities,
and increases the
hardness and brittleness
of the alloy

29
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition

• Iridium (Ir), • Gallium (Ga)

Ruthenium (Ru), – Added to high Pd alloys
or non-silver Au/Pd
Rhenium (Rh) metal ceramic alloys to
– Grain refining compensate for a
decrease in the TCOE
caused by the
elimination of the Ag.
– (Also provides oxides for
ceramic bonding)

30
 Au-Ag-Cu-Pd: Composition

Alloy Main Elements Cu/ Au Cu Ag Pd Sn, In, Fe,

Type Au Zn, Ga
I High noble (Au base) 7% 83 6 10 0.5 Balance
II High noble (Au base) 9% 77 7 14 1 Balance
III High noble (Au base) 12% 75 9 11 3.5 Balance
III Noble (Au base) 17% 46 8 39 6 Balance
IV High noble (Au base) 25% 56 14 25 4 Balance

Copper:
– Conc. >12% of Au amount  alloy can be heat treated
– Conc. >18%  decrease the melting temp of the alloy
•Types I and II gold can’t be heat treated and have a higher
melting temp v.s. Types III and IV.

31
 Heat Treatment

Cu/Au system is the

basis for heat
treatment
– Cu:Au ratio > 12:88
 the alloy is heat
treatable.

100%Au

32
 Heat Treatment

• Above 424°C  solid

solution
– Quenching from above
424°C will result in a
softer, more ductile alloy solid solution
with decreased strength 424°C

33
 Heat Treatment

• Below 424°C
 ordered crystal
lattice
– Alloy has increased
strength, hardness and
decreased ductility. 424°C
– The amount of
transformation is time
and temperature
dependent and the Ordered crystal lattice
process is reversible.

34
 Softening Heat Treatment
(Solution Heat Treatment)

• Heat alloy to 700°C for

10 min. then quench.
– Decreased tensile
strength, proportional limit
and hardness
– Increases ductility and 700°C
%elongation
424°C
– MOE not significantly
altered.
• Indicated prior to
adjusting, burnishing and
polishing

35
 Hardening Heat Treatment
(Age Hardening)

• Heat alloy to 450°C for 2

min., cool slowly to 250°C
over 30 mins then quench.
Or Heat to 350°C for 10 –
15 min. and quench
– Increases strength,
proportional limit and
hardness 424°C
– Decreases ductility and
%elongation
• Indicated for RPD
frameworks and long span
FPD’s

36
 Silver-Palladium Alloys
(Ag-Pd)

• Ag:Pd ratio approx 3:1 (60-70% Ag,

25% Pd) to render silver tarnish
resistant in the oral cavity.
• Both Ag and Pd absorb gases during
heating, casting is very technique
sensitive.
• ≠ Pd-Ag alloys (for PFM restorations)

37
 Ag-Pd: Composition

Alloy Main Elements Cu/ Au Cu Ag Pd Sn, In, Fe,

Type Au Zn, Ga

III Noble (Ag base) 70 25 Balance

IV Noble (Ag base) 15 14 45 25 Balance

38
Alloys for PFM or Metal
Ceramic Restoration
Au-Pt-Pd
Au-Pd-Ag
No Copper! Au-Pd
Pd-Ag
High Pd
Firing

40
41
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
those of dental porcelains
• Sufficiently high solidus temp
(fusing temp) to permit the
application of low-fusing porcela
ins
– >100°C than the firing temp of the
ceramic

42
 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 during cooling after firing t
he porcelain.
• This condition puts the ceramic under slight residual
compression, which makes it less sensitive to applied tensile f
orces.

43
Gold-Platinum-Palladium Alloys
(Au-Pt-Pd)

• Composition
– Au (84-86%); Pt (4-10%); Pd (5-7%); Ag (0-5%); Fe, In, Sn
(2-3%)
– (high noble)
• Advantages
– Excellent bonding to porcelain
– Reproduces fine margins and occlusal detail
– Easily finished and polished
– Corrosion resistant and non-toxic
– Adequate yield strength and MOE (most cases)

45
• Disadvantages
– low sag and creep resistance
– not strong enough for long span FPDs
– High cost

46
 Gold-Palladium-Silver Alloys
(Au-Pd-Ag)

• Composition
– Au (45-52%); Pd (26-31%); Ag (6-16%); In, Sn (5-7%)
– (high noble)
• Advantages
– Higher melting range
– Better sag and creep resistance
– Higher yield strength and MOE for long span FPDs
– Good castability
– Easily finished and polished
– Non-toxic and lower cost v.s. Au-Pt-Pd alloys

47
• Disadvantages
– Ag may cause greening of porcelain.
– White color may show through tissues as gray
and may not be as acceptable as gold collars.
– High Pd content may increase the risk of H2 gas
absorption during casting, and bonding of porcela
in may be affected by oxidizing procedures.

48
 Gold-Palladium Alloys
(Au-Pd)

• Composition
– Au (45-52%); Pd (38-45%); In (8.5%); Ga (1.5%)
– (high noble)
• Advantages
– same as for Au-Pd-Ag alloys with the addition of
potentially better porcelain color due to lack of Ag
• Disadvantages
– same as for Au-Pd-Ag alloys with the exception
of porcelain greening

49
 Palladium-Silver Alloys
(Pd-Ag)

• Composition
– Pd (53-88%); Ag (30-37%); In (4-7%); Sn (4-7%)
– (noble)
• Advantages
– High yield strength and MOE
– Better sag and creep resistance
– Non-toxic and low cost
• Disadvantages
– Castability < gold alloys
– High Ag porcelain greening, ↓bonding
– High Pd  ↑gas absorption and poor color

50
 High Palladium Alloys

• Composition
– Pd (74-88%); Cu (10-15%); Ga (9%); Au (0-2%);
Co (4-5%); In (0-5%)
– (noble)
• Advantages
– High yield strength and sag and creep resistance
– Non-toxic, low cost
– Castability = gold alloys (easy)
– Excellent porcelain color

51
• Disadvantages
– Porcelain bond strength may be variable.
– High Pd content  ↑ H2 gas absoption, poor
solderability
– Can’t be used with carbon investments or
crucibles
• Carbon or Silicon contamination will cause brittle
castings which may crack or tear at grain boundaries u
nder stress.

52
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.

53
 Minor Elements in PFM Alloys

• In, Sn, Fe, Ga - provide metallic oxides for

porcelain bonding, and harden the alloy.
• Ga - increases the thermal coef. of exp. to
compensate for decreased or absence of Ag
.

54
 Heat Treatment

• PFM alloys can be heat tx however clinical

condition is dependant on ceramic applicatio
n.

55
Base Metal Alloys

•Ni-Cr, Co-Cr
•Pure Ti, Ti alloy
Co-Cr and Ni-Cr alloys

Co-Cr Ni-Cr

57
 Composition

• Chromium (11-20%)
– responsible for tarnish and corrosion resistance
due to its passivity  “passivation”
– if >30%  difficult to cast and brittle
• Cobalt or Nickel (65-78%)
– Co and Ni are pretty much interchangeable.
– Ni alloys have decreased strength, hardness,
MOE, fusion temps and increased ductility and %
elongation v.s. Co alloys.

58
 Composition

• Minor alloying elements

control the majority of the physical properties
– Carbon (0.1-0.5%)
• increases strength, hardness, and brittleness.
• increased by 0.2%  alloy too hard and brittle for
dental use
• decreased by 0.2%  decreases yield strength and
UTS to unacceptable levels.
– Molybdenum (3-6%)
• increases strength, hardness, and %elongation

59
 Composition

– Aluminum (4-5%)
• forms a Ni3Al in NiCr alloys which contributes to
precipitation hardening resulting in increased tensile
and yield strength.
– Beryllium (0.5-2%)
• decreases the fusion temp by approx 100°C
• increases fluidity during casting
• allows for electrolytic etching (with resin bond
prosthesis)

60
 Composition

– Manganese (5%) and Silicone (0.5%)

• increases fluidity and castability of the molten alloy
• + Boron  deoxidizers (essential in Ni containing
alloys)
– Iron and Copper
• increase hardness

61
 Heat Treatment

• Most desirable properties are in the as cast

condition. (= no need for heat tx)

62
 Titanium and Titanium Alloys

• Forms a very stable oxide layer

• Commercially pure titanium (cp Ti) is used for dental
implants, surface coatings, and crowns, partial and
complete dentures, and orthodontic wires.
• Ti-6Al-4V is the most widely used.

63
 Cast Titanium

• Problems
– High melting point (~ 1700°C)
– Chemical reactivity
• Reacts with gaseous elements easily, esp. at high temp
(>600°C)
 Need a well-controlled vacuum in
processing
 The technology required makes casting Ti
so expensive.

64
Considerations on
Properties
 Melting 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.

66
 Density

• Alloys with high densities will generally

accelerate into the mold during casting
faster and tend to form complete
castings more easily.
– Base-metal 7-8 g/cc vs. High Noble 13-18
g/cc
• Alloys with lower density  lighter

67
 Yield Strength

• Can be increased with treatment and

changing the compositions

68
 Hardness

• Is a good indicator of the ability of an

alloy to resist local permanent
deformation under occlusal load
• Gives some indication of the difficulty
in polishing the alloy
• Most noble casting alloys < enamel
(343 Kg/mm2) and < base-metal alloys

69
 Elongation/Fatigue

• Important property for RPD

alloys
• For crown and bridge
applications, a low value of
elongation for an alloy is
not a big concern.
– However, the elongation will
indicate if the alloy can be
burnished.

70
 Biocompatibility

• Noble alloys related to

elemental release from the
alloys (i.e., from the corrosion
process).
• Base-metal alloys
– Be  from contact dermatitis to
severe chemical pheumonitis
– Ni  sensitivity
• 5-10 times higher for females
• 5%-8% of females

71
End of Dental Casting
Alloys
Noble Casting Alloys

73
 Properties of Elements
in Dental Casting Alloys

74
Inlay, onlay

76