[Testing the solubility of dental alloys]

Solubility of dental non-precious alloys was investigated. In the first few days of immersion high concentrations of dissolved metal ions were observed. For some alloys the rates increased, for others they decreased with time, when the immersion bath was replaced by a freshly prepared one. Solubility increased slightly when metal surfaces were ground with emery-paper, grain size 1200, which was intended to simulate the disturbance of the passivation layer by mastication. Porcelain firing, however, caused largely increased rates, depending on the kind of alloy. The results are to be taken into consideration when formulating standards for corrosion resistance tests.