Abstract
Various commercially available amalgams were metallographically investigated using SEM/EDX.As a result, amalgam alloys were divided into two types, low copper-content alloys containing at most 6wt% copper and high copper-content alloys containing more than 6wt% copper.Furthermore, high copper-content alloys were classified into admixed and single compositions by the type of copper-addition.Amalgams made from these alloys showed the characteristic structure respectively.The low copper amalgams showed three types, namely, lathe-cut, spherical and admixed types.On the other hard, the admixed high copper amalgams were divided into non γ2 type and γ2 containing type, then subdivided into several types by the alloy particle form and composition.And the high copper single comosition amalgams showed three types, namely, spherical, spheroidal and lathe-cut types.
