Creep and Phase Transformation in Dental Amalgam

Abstract

Creep measurements were performed on different types of amalgams as a function of heat treatment after specimen preparation before testing. The types of amalgams included lathe-cut, spherical, nonpreamalgamated amalgams, and an amalgam containing Ag-Cu particles. Heat treatment significantly reduced the creep of all alloy types studied. Creep reduction was associated with the phase transformation γ₁→β _t (Ag-Hg), which was detected by metallographic and microprobe analysis.