Search Results (20)

To increase the mechanical and improve the operational properties of the AlSi25Cu4Cr and AlSi25Cu5Cr alloys, combinations of the alloying elements Ni, Co and Mo were used. The AlSi25Cu4Cr alloy was additionally alloyed with both Ni and Mo and Ni, Co and Mo, and the AlSi25Cu5Cr alloy was alloyed with Co and Mo in different concentrations. The dental alloys “wiron light” and “wironit” were used to introduce the elements Ni, Co, Mo, as well as additional amounts of Cr into the composition of the base compositions. The thermal analysis recorded a decrease in the liquidus and solidus temperatures of the base alloys, as well as a narrowing of their crystallization temperature range as a result of the added alloying elements. The influence of the used chemical elements on the phase composition of the alloys was established by X-ray diffraction. The elements Cr and Mo do not form secondary strengthening phases but dissolve in the α-solid solution. The results of the corrosion tests conducted in 1 M HCl solution and 1 M H₂SO₄ solution for 336 h and 504 h show that the elements Ni, Co and Mo improve the corrosion resistance of the alloys. Full article

Surface modifications not only improve the corrosion resistance of Co-Cr-Mo dental alloys (Bego Wirobond^® C) but also ensure their long-term performance and reliability in dental applications. This paper describes the preparation of single-layer TiO₂-ZrO₂ sol–gel coatings on the Co-Cr-Mo dental alloy using the method of dip-coating. The TiO₂-ZrO₂ sol–gel coatings were sintered at 300 and 500 °C. SEM analysis shows that sintering at 300 °C produces a uniform, slightly dense structure without micro-cracks, while sintering at 500 °C results in a denser structure with micro-cracks due to higher stress and shrinkage. EDS confirms that sintering temperature affects the elemental composition of the coating, with higher temperatures causing the volatilization or diffusion of Ti and Zr. Roughness measurements indicate that the Ra value increases with the sintering temperature, meeting dental application requirements. Electrochemical measurements by open-circuit potential, EIS, and cyclic potentiodynamic curves demonstrate that sintering temperature and saliva composition affect corrosion resistance, with NaF and mouthwashes (Listerine Total Care Teeth Protection^® and Meridol^®) generally increasing charge transfer resistance and double-layer capacitance. The ceramic TiO₂-ZrO₂ coatings significantly reduce pitting corrosion susceptibility at physiological and acidic pH, with the 500 °C sintered coating showing better protective properties. These findings highlight the potential of TiO₂-ZrO₂ coatings in enhancing the performance of Co-Cr-Mo dental alloys. Full article

Dental prostheses have been fabricated using various selective laser melting (SLM) machines; however, the impact of the type of machine on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Co–Cr–Mo alloys remains unclear. In this study, we prepared samples using two SLM machines (the small M100 and mid-sized M290) with different beam spot sizes (40 and 100 µm, respectively). The microstructures and tensile properties of the heated (1150 °C for 60 min) and as-built samples were evaluated. The grain sizes of the M100 samples were smaller than those of the M290 samples due to the small beam spot size of the M100 machine. Both heated samples exhibited recrystallized equiaxed grains; however, the amount of non-recrystallized grains remaining in the M290 sample exceeded that in the M100 sample. This suggests that the M100 samples recrystallized faster than the M290 samples after heating. The elongation of the M100 samples was higher than that of the M290 samples in the as-built and heated states, owing to the smaller grain size of the M100 samples. A comparison of the M100 and M290 SLM machines indicated that the M100 was suitable for producing dental prostheses owing to its good elongation and rapid recrystallization features, which shorten its post-heat-treatment duration. Full article

Carbon nanotubes are a promising material for use in innovative biomedical solutions due to their unique chemical, mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties. This work provides a method for the development of ultrasonically assisted electrophoretic deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on a CoCrMo dental alloy. Functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes was carried out by chemical oxidation in a mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids. The modified and unmodified multi-walled carbon nanotubes were anaphoretically deposited on the CoCrMo alloy in an aqueous solution. Chemical composition was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanism and kinetics of the electrochemical corrosion of the obtained coatings in artificial saliva at 37 °C were determined using the open-circuit potential method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and anodic polarization curves. The capacitive behavior and high corrosion resistance of the tested electrodes were revealed. It was found that the kinetics of electrochemical corrosion of the CoCrMo electrode significantly decreased in the presence of the functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube coating. Electrophoretic deposition was shown to be an effective, low-cost, and fast method of producing nanotubes with controlled thickness, homogeneity, and packing density. Full article

Wirobond^® C is a commercial dental casting alloy suitable for the fabrication of crowns, bridges, and metal ceramic restorations. This study aims to investigate the effect of ready-to-use Listerine^® and Meridol^® mouthwashes and sodium fluoride on the resistance of CoCrMo dental alloys to electrochemical corrosion in artificial saliva at 37 °C. SEM, EDS, SKP, and microhardness investigations were carried out to characterize the material under study. The in vitro corrosion resistance of the CoCrMo alloy was conducted using the open-circuit potential method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and anodic polarization curves. The presence of Co 59.8(8) wt.%, Cr 31.5(4) wt.%, and Mo 8.8(6) wt.% was confirmed. The CoCrMo alloy was characterized by a Vickers microhardness value of 445(31) µHV_0.3. Based on the EIS data, the capacitive behavior and high corrosion resistance of the CoCrMo alloy were revealed. The kinetics of pitting corrosion in the artificial saliva were lower after being modified with NaF, Listerine^®, and Meridol^® mouthwashes. The potentiodynamic characteristics revealed the passive behavior of the CoCrMo alloy in all solutions. Based on the SKP measurements of the CoCrMo alloy after corrosion tests, the effect of artificial saliva modification on the electronic properties of Bego Wirobond^® C dental alloy was found. Full article

(1) Background: In dentistry, a reduction in surface roughness is established mostly by conventional mechanical polishing to hinder biofilm adhesion. This is time- and labor-intensive. Plasma electrolytic polishing is believed to be an effective finishing method due to the reduced treatment time and materials used for applications in dentistry. (2) Methods: Co-Cr-Mo dental alloy samples were sandblasted and prepared with either plasma electrolytic or conventional mechanical polishing. Evaluation of the polishing methods was obtained by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. (3) Results: The sandblasted samples showed the highest surface roughness (Heraenium^® Sun 991 ± 288 nm; Wironit^® 1187 ± 331 nm). Our results show that with plasma electrolytic polishing, Co-Cr-Mo surfaces can be polished with a surface roughness in the nanometer range, comparable to those achieved by conventional mechanical polishing. Conventional mechanical polishing (Heraenium^® Sun 134 ± 23 nm; Wironit^® 114 ± 11 nm) provided lower surface roughness values compared to plasma electrolytic polishing (Heraenium^® Sun 288 ± 94 nm; Wironit^® 261 ± 49 nm). We anticipate our pilot study as a starting point for future studies to refine process parameters and quantitative microbiological assays. (4) Conclusions: Plasma electrolytic polishing might have a promising future for polishing dental alloys. Full article

The hardness of heat (thermally) treated CoCrMo ingots, recycled by electron beam melting and refining (EBMR) of a technogenic CoCrMo material (waste from the dental technology) under different process conditions (temperature and residence time) is examined. The heat treatment consists of two-step heating up to temperatures of 423 K and 1343 K and retention times of 40 and 60 min, respectively. The influence of various loads (0.98 N, 1.96 N, 2.94 N, 4.9 N, and 9.8 N) on the hardness of the CoCrMo alloy, recycled by EBMR, before and after heat treatment is studied. It has been found that regardless of the EBMR process conditions, the obtained samples after heat treatment have similar hardness values (between 494.2 HV and 505.9 HV) and they are significantly lower than the hardness of the specimens before the heat treatment. The highest hardness (600 HV) is measured in the alloy recycled at 1845 K refining temperature for 20 min. This is due to the smaller crystal structure of the resulting alloy and the higher cobalt content. The results obtained show that the heat treatment leads to considerable changes in the microstructure of the CoCrMo ingots recycled by EBMR. With the increase of the e-beam refining temperature, after the heat treatment, the grains’ size increases and the grains’ shape indicates an incomplete phase transition from γ-fcc to ε-hcp phase. This leads to a slight increase in the hardness of the alloy. Full article

Co-Cr alloys have good mechanical properties such as high hardness, excellent magnetic properties and good corrosion resistance. For this reason, they are most commonly used as dental and orthopaedic implants. Generally, cast Co-Cr-Mo alloys and forged Co-Ni-Cr-Mo alloys are used for the production of implants. In this study, we investigated two dental alloys, namely, Co-Cr-Mo and Co-Cr-W-Mo alloys. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of heat treatment on the development of the microstructure and to evaluate its influence on the alloys’ mechanical and tribological properties. The samples were first solution-annealed at 1200 °C in an argon atmosphere for 2 h, then quenched in water and subsequently aged at 900 °C in an argon atmosphere for 1, 3 and 12 h. A microstructural analysis was performed using SEM, with EDS for microchemical analysis and EBSD for phase identification. In addition, the Vickers hardness and wear resistance of the two alloys were analysed before and after heat treatment. The Co-Cr-Mo alloy showed better wear resistance and also a generally higher hardness than the Co-Cr-W-Mo alloy. Both alloys showed signs of abrasive and adhesive wear, with carbide particles detaching from the Co-Cr-W-Mo alloy due to the lower hardness of the matrix. The Co-Cr-Mo alloy showed the best abrasion resistance after the longest aging time (12 h), while the Co-Cr-W-Mo alloy showed the best as-cast abrasion resistance. With ageing, the wear resistance of both alloys increased. Full article

This paper sought to determine corrosion resistance changes in the artificial saliva of a CoCrMoW-based alloy used for dental prostheses under Nd:YAG laser welding with CoCr alloy and stainless steel wire filler metals. The paper presents the corrosion characteristics of such joints, including the next stage of porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) firing. Corrosion tests were performed by electrochemical methods registering anodic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The microstructures were assessed by scanning microscopy (SEM) and chemical composition analysis (EDS) at the connection and heat-affected zones. Welding CoCrMoW alloy with and without a filler material increased the open circuit potential of the samples by 40–100 mV compared to unwelded base alloy. At the same time, a potentiodynamic test showed a polarization resistance R_pol reduction in welded samples, both for CoCr and stainless steel wires, as compared to the base CoCrMoW material. On the other hand, when comparing the current density and polarization resistance between materials welded with two different filler metals, better results were obtained for samples welded with stainless steel wire. The polarization resistance R_pol for the base alloy was 402 kΩ·cm², for the CoCr wire weld it was 436 kΩ·cm², and the value was 452 kΩ·cm² for stainless steel wire welds. Comparing polarization resistance R_pol from the Tafel analysis and the total charge transfer resistance from Rp_(EIS) from EIS, the CoCrMoW alloy welded with a stainless steel wire after heat treatment equaled or even slightly exceeded the corrosion resistance of the base alloy and alloy welded with dedicated CoCr wire after heat treatment. These results indicated the possibility of using stainless steel wire for the laser welding of CoCrMoW alloys dental prostheses, including the next stage of PFM, without sacrificing the corrosion resistance of such connections, and this was confirmed by most electrochemical parameters. Full article

Due to their high specific strength, toughness, and corrosion and wear resistance characteristics, CoCrMo alloys are widely used in different industries and applications: wind turbines and jet-engine components, orthopedic implants, dental crowns, etc. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of lattice parameters on the compressive behavior of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) parts from CoCrMo material. Build orientation, volume fraction, and lattice type are chosen as input parameters or control factors, and compressive yield strength (σ_y), elastic modulus (E), and specific energy absorption are chosen as the output or performance parameters for optimization. The Taguchi experimental design method is used in the arrangement of lattice parameters during experimental studies. The level of importance of the lattice parameters on σ_y, E, and specific energy absorption is determined by using analysis of variance (ANOVA). At the same material volume fractions, Diamond specimens showed higher σ_y and specific energy absorption than Gyroid and Primitive specimens, except σ_y at 0.4 volume fraction, where a Gyroid specimen showed the best result. The experimental and statistical results revealed that volume fraction and build orientation were found to be the major and minor effective factors, respectively, for all performance parameters (σ_y, E, and specific energy absorption). The effect of volume fraction on σ_y, E, and specific energy absorption was found to be 85.11%, 91.83%, and 57.71%, respectively. Lattice type was found to be the second-ranking factor, affecting σ_y, E, and specific energy absorption with contributions of 11.04%, 6.98%, and 39.40%, respectively. Multi objective optimization based on grey relation analysis showed that a Diamond specimen with 0.4 volume fraction and 45° build orientation was the best parameter set for the investigated performance outputs. Full article

In oral rehabilitation, the treatment of partial edentulism (PEd) is performed by removable partial dentures (RPD) or assembled prosthetic works (APW) composed of several components, fixed to the prosthetic field (Pa) and a removable one (Pb), in order to facilitate the daily hygiene but also the damping of the occlusal forces applied in mastication. Cobalt-Chromium alloys are materials used to manufacture modern prosthetic assembles. In order for this study to be relevant, it was necessary to standardize the design of the framework (Pa) in terms of shape and volume so that the experiment could be reproducible for the five Co-Cr alloys: 0-A (Co-Cr-Mo), 5-A and 10-A (Co-Cr-Mo-W), 15-A and 16.4-A (Co-Cr-W-Fe) and for the three fabrication methods of dental assembled prosthetic frameworks: refractory duplicate method (RD) resulting removable framework (Pb), direct construction method (DC) resulting removable framework (Pb-) and casting over metal method (CoM) resulting removable framework (Pb+). The time allocated to the adaptation process (AP), mechanical processing and sandblasting, in order to assemble the two components was between 43–70 min, even though the assembly between the Pa-framework and the complementary framework (Pb+) was not necessary, CoM-method hs been provide the elimination of AP step. By applying the arithmetic simple rule of three, the percentages for each of the three methods used were calculated, the values of the difference were obtained. The CoM method improves the joining precision between the components of the removable assembly of prosthetic frameworks by 91.7% compared to the RD method and by 80.62% compared to the DC method. According to the efficiency of the methods used in the precision of joining between frameworks components, their order is: casting over metal, direct construction and refractory duplicate method. Full article

Cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloys have been used in dentistry for dental bridges, crowns and implants for decades. When using CoCr alloys, a number of fractures have occurred in the Dental Laboratory, both when handling the castings and after they have been placed in the patient’s mouth. It is assumed that the key cause of the resulting fractures of CoCr dental bridges is the casting process, which includes the preparation and mixing of the basic components of the CoCr dental alloy, unstable solidification and the final treatment of the tooth casting surface. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine three castings differently prepared from the CoCr alloy. For the initial CoCr alloy, we selected the one supplied directly from the manufacturer; three test samples were CoCr alloy remelted four times in the same crucible, while the fourth sample was the remaining solidified alloy from the crucible, taken at the last remelting. Characterisation of the microstructure of all four samples was performed by optical and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope and X-ray diffractometry. Microhardness measurements were also performed. The investigation revealed that the microstructure of the castings is composed of a CoCr alloy matrix with a eutectic interdendritic composition and interdendritic precipitates, which were rich in W and Mo. The two oxides were identified as chromium oxide with silicon content and chromium oxide, which originated from the CoCr alloy as casting residue. The high content of silicon in the chromium oxide can be attributed to the silicon oxide from the ceramic melting crucible, mixed in with the remains from the CoCr alloy melting. The second oxide showed a more regular elemental content for chromium oxide, mixed with a small quantity of impurities and the casting CoCr alloy. Based on this research, some recommendations were made for working with CoCr alloys in the Dental Laboratory, with the aim of reducing the risk of dental bridge fractures in the future. Full article

The aim of the paper is based on a combined approach to improve dental alloy performance using a new Ni-free Co–Cr composition with Mo, Nb and Zr and coated with an anodic oxidation film. The coated and uncoated samples were surface characterized by performing SEM (scanning electronic microscopy), XRD (X-rays diffraction) contact angle measurements and corrosion studies with open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization and EIS (impedance electrochemical spectroscopy) procedures. The SEM equipment with an EDX (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) module indicated the sample morphology and the XRD investigations established the formation of the oxides. The electrochemical procedures were performed in Ericsson artificial saliva for coated samples in various conditions. Based on all the experiments, including the decrease in the hydrophobic character of the uncoated samples and the decrease in the hydrophilic values of the anodized alloys, the improved performance of the coated samples was established as a conclusion. Full article

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of continuous and discontinuous (cyclic) solution heat treatment on the athermal and isothermal ε martensite phase transformation in Co-28Cr-6Mo-0.3C implant alloy. The results showed that the cyclic solution heat treatment induced more of the athermal ε martensite phase in the alloy than that of the continues one. In addition, the cyclic heat treatment contributes to the development of more isothermal martensite phase during isothermal aging at 850 °C and, moreover, grain refinement in the area beneath the sample surface. The severity of grain refinement was highly significant adjacent to the surface and decreased by increasing the distance from the sample free surface. This novel grain refinement in high-carbon Co-Cr-Mo alloy was attributed to the generation of larger quenching thermal stresses introduced beneath the surface during cyclic solution treatment. The repetitive heating/cooling cycle modifies the surface properties, refines the grain size and leads to uniform dispersion of the secondary carbides. The corrosion resistance of the cyclically solution heat-treated samples was superior as compared to the as-cast one. Full article

To apply laser-sintered titanium (Ti) materials to dental prostheses with a three-dimensional structure such as partial dentures, we examined the microstructures and mechanical properties of commercially pure (CP) Ti grade (G) 2 annealed after laser sintering and laser-sintered (as-built) Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The tensile and fatigue properties of CP Ti G 2 annealed at 700 °C for 2 h after laser sintering were close to those of wrought CP Ti G 2 annealed at the same temperature after hot forging. The ultimate tensile strengths (σ_UTS) of 90°- and 0°-direction-built CP Ti G 2 rods after laser sintering 10 times were 553 and 576 MPa and the total elongations (TE) of these rods were 26% and 28%, respectively. The fatigue strengths (σ_FS) at 10⁷ cycles of the 90°- and 0°-direction-built CP Ti G 2 rods after laser sintering 10 times were ~320 and ~365 MPa, respectively. The ratio σ_FS/σ_UTS was in the range of 0.5–0.7. The changes in the chemical composition and mechanical properties after laser sintering 10 times were negligible. The fatigue strength of the laser-sintered Ti-6Al-4V alloy was ~600 MPa, which was close to that of wrought Ti-6Al-4V alloy. These findings indicate that the laser-sintered CP Ti and Ti-6Al-4V alloy can also be applied in dental prostheses similarly to laser-sintered Co–Cr–Mo alloy. In particular, it was clarified that laser sintering using CP Ti G 4 powder is useful for dental prostheses. Full article