Determination and Calculations of Mercury Vapor Concentration and Energy Released from Freshly Condensed Dental Amalgams Having Various Copper Percentages within the Alloy

Dental amalgam is an alloy consisting of a mixture of fine metallic powder of silver, tin, zinc, copper, and a trace amount of palladium in combination with about fifty percent elemental mercury that forms a matrix phase. Dental amalgams consisting of a high-copper content are the most common types of alloys currently utilized for the restoration of decayed, broken, and fractured posterior human teeth. The present research objective was primarily to improve the material properties by determining and analyzing the amount of mercury vapor released from dental amalgam received from eight different commercial brands. The mechanical hardness of the alloys was found to increase with an increase in copper content in the amalgam. The effect of copper addition on material aging was also studied. During the release of mercury vapor, the corresponding energies associated with the release of mercury vapor from each sample were determined for each successive measurement. The results indicated that increasing the copper content of the amalgam counters the release of mercury vapor from posterior teeth and improves the hardness properties.