Abstract
Corrosion behavior of dental amalgams and their phases was investigated by means of an electrochemical method and surface analysis by electron probe X-ray microanalyzer. The tin and tin-containing intermetallic compounds had an anodic and two cathodic current peaks with nearly identical potentials. The γ2 phase had the highest peak current. Polarization curves of the dental amalgams showed two anodic current peaks (1a and 2a) and three or four cathodic current peaks in the range of potential from -1.5V to +0.5V.
On the basis of the equilibrium petential, the peaks 1a and 1c were thought to be due to the formation and reduction of divalent tin salt. The peaks 2a and 2c were considered to be due to the formation and reduction of quadra-valent tin salt. A Sn-Cl rich cluster was observed on the sample of the conventional amalgam after the anodic polarization.
