[A basic study on gallium alloys for dental restorations. Improvement of liquid gallium alloy]

This study was made to compare the physical and chemical properties of amalgam with those of gallium alloy in which the invented liquid alloy containing the three fundamental components of Ga-Sn-In or Ga-Sn-In-Ag were used instead of mercury. Experiment 1. The physical and chemical properties were investigated after the liquid gallium alloy and high copper amalgam powder were mixed. The following results were obtained; 1) The invented gallium alloy group showed expansion in dimensional changes immediately after mixing. This alloy group showed the same compressive and diametral tensile strength as those in amalgam after 7 days. 2) This alloy group showed slightly more corrosion weight loss in 0.05% HCl and 1% lactic acid solutions than that in amalgam, but this alloy group showed the same corrosion weight loss in 1% NaCl solution and artificial saliva as in amalgam. Also this alloy group showed more discoloration (delta E, NBS) in 0.1% Na2S solution than that in amalgam, but this showed the same degree of discoloration in artificial saliva. Experiment 2. The physical and chemical properties were investigated after the same liquid gallium alloy and Ag-Pd-Sn-Cu-Zn alloy powder were mixed. The following results were obtained; 1) The invented gallium alloy group showed expansion in dimensional changes immediately after mixing. This showed superior quality in compressive and diametral tensile strength as compared with those of amalgam. 2) The invented gallium alloy showed slightly more corrosion weight loss in 0.05% HCl and 1% lactic acid solutions than that in amalgam, but this alloy group showed the same corrosion weight loss in 1% NaCl solution and artificial saliva as in amalgam. Also this alloy group showed more discoloration (delta E, NBS) in 0.1% solution than that in amalgam, but it was the same in artificial saliva.