Transmission electron microscopic investigation of high-palladium dental casting alloys

Objective. The purpose of this study was to use transmission electron microscopy to examine four representative high-palladium alloys and gain insight into possible strengthening mechanisms. Methods. Castings of two Pd-Cu-Ga alloys and two Pd-Ga alloys were thinned by jet polishing and ion milling, followed by plasma cleaning, to yield foil specimens. Multiple specimens were prepared for each alloy. Bright-field images, dark-field images and selected-area electron diffraction patterns for the alloys in the as-cast condition, after simulated porcelain-firing heat treatment, and after annealing at 980 degrees C were analyzed by standard transmission electron microscope (TEM) techniques. The overall compositions of the ultrastructures for the specimen foils were determined by conventional standardless energy-dispersive spectroscopic analyses with the TEM, and mean values of the elemental compositions were compared to the nominal alloy compositions provided by the manufacturers. Results. There was generally good agreement (differences less than 2 wt%) between the overall ultrastructure composition and each nominal alloy composition, except for Protocol from which In may have been lost during casting or formed intermetallic compounds that were not detected by TEM. The same fine-scale tweed structure within parallel bands of similar to 100-200 nm width was observed for all four alloys in the as-cast condition and after simulated porcelain-firing heat treatment. The persistence of the ultrastructure in the specimens of the two Pd-Cu-Ga alloys annealed at 980 degrees C and quenched in ice water indicated very rapid formation from the palladium solid solution. The presence of {100} and {110} forbidden reflections for the [001] zone suggested that the tweed structure is ordered, although further research is necessary to establish this conclusion. Significance. The presence of a similar tweed structure in both the Pd-Cu-Ga alloys and the Pd-Ga alloys of substantially lower hardness shows that some other strengthening mechanism accounts for the high hardness and strength generally observed for Pd-Cu-Ga alloys.