Efficiency of mechanical trituration of amalgam I. Optimum capsule length

Using the performance criterion of "success time" it has been possible to investigate in detail the changing efficiency of the amalgamation process as both capsule length and amplitude of oscillation are varied. The most efficient amalgamation was obtained for a length:amplitude ratio between 0.5 and 1.3 over a range of amplitudes. There is, however, an apparent upper limit to the amplitude which may be used without a loss in efficiency due to other factors becoming important. The nature of the relationship for the principal success region has been investigated theoretically, which result has been supported by the empirical observations. The ratio pi/2 corresponds closely to a minimum efficiency. It would seem that, because of the complexity of the precise calculation of the theoretical optimum, empirical determination would be the method of choice in any given system. However, there is satisfactory agreement between the theoretical approximately optimum ratio of 0.5 for l/1 and the observed minima in the range 0.4-0.7 for l/2.