Corrosion of three experimental AgMn-based casting alloys

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Silver-manganese (AgMn) alloys are being explored as alternatives to Type III dental alloys.
• These AgMn alloys exhibit hardness comparable to existing Type III dental alloys after heat treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the corrosion characteristics of novel AgMn-based alloys.
• To assess the potential of AgMn alloys as dental materials.

Main Methods:

• Three experimental alloys (63Ag37Mn, 60Ag35Mn5Au, 60Ag35Mn5Pd) were tested in a peak-hardened state.
• Open-circuit potential (OCP) was measured for 24 hours in a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution.
• Cyclic voltammetry was employed to generate current-potential profiles.

Main Results:

• All alloys showed ennoblement of OCP due to manganese dissolution and silver enrichment.
• Ternary alloys (AgMnAu, AgMnPd) were more noble than the binary AgMn alloy after 24 hours.
• Cyclic voltammetry indicated palladium was most effective in reducing silver corrosion, followed by gold.

Conclusions:

• AgMn-based alloys possess suitable hardness for dental applications.
• Understanding the corrosion behavior is crucial for the further development of these AgMn alloys.
• Palladium-containing AgMn alloys demonstrate promising corrosion resistance.