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INVESTMENT
MATERIALS
IT IS RECOMMENDED TO FOLLOW MCCABE APPLIED DENTAL MATERIALS ALONG
WITH THIS LECTURE PERSENTATION

REFERENCES FOR THIS LECTURE:

RESTORATIVE DENTAL MATERIALS, CRAIG
NOTES ON DENTAL MATERIALS, COMBES
DENTAL MATERIALS, PHILLIPS

WHAT IS AN INVESTMENT MATERIAL

A MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR FORMING A MOLD
INTO WHICH A METAL OR ALLOY IS CAST
WAX PATTERNS (OF APPLIANCES OR RESTORATIONS) ARE INVESTED IN
INVESTMENT MATERIAL...
ASSEMBLY IS HEATED TO REMOVE WAX...
THE MOLD SPACE FORMED IS THEN OCCUPIED BY THE MATERIAL OF
WHICH THE RESTORATION OR APPLIANCE IS TO BE MADE (ACRYLIC OR
ALLOY)

REQUIREMENTS FOR INVESTMENT

MATERIALS
EASILY MANIPULATED
SUFFICIENT STRENGTH AT ROOM TEMP.
STABILITY AT HIGH TEMPERATURE
SUFFICIENT EXPANSION TO COMPENSATE FOR WAX PATTERN SHRINKAGE AND CASTING SHRINKAGE OF
METAL
POROUS ENOUGH TO PERMIT AIR AND GASSES TO ESCAPE MOLD CAVITY
SMOOTH SURFACE
EASE OF DIVESTMENT
SUITABLE SETTING TIME
INEXPENSIVE

COMPOSITION OF INVESTMENT MATERIALS

1. A REFRACTORY MATERIAL A MATERIAL THAT CAN WITHSTAND HIGH
TEMPERATURES AND WILL NOT DISINTEGRATE ON HEATING. E.G. QUARTZ, TRIDYMITE,
CRYSTOBALITE

2. A BINDER A MATERIAL THAT WILL SET AND BIND THE REFRACTORY MATERIAL
TOGETHER. E.G. GYPSUM (ALPHA HEMIHYDRATE), PHOSPHATE, ETHYL SILICATE

3. OTHER CONSTITUENTS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

SODIUM CHLORIDE
BORIC ACID
POTASSIUM SULPHATE
MAGNESIUM OXIDE
GRAPHITE

TYPES (BASED ON BINDER)

1. GYPSUM BONDED I.M
2. SILICA BONDED I.M
3. PHOSPHATE BONDED I.M
TYPES (BASED ON SILICA/REFRACTORY MATERIAL)
4. QUARTZ INVESTMENT
5. CRISTOBALITE INVESTMENT

GYPSUM BONDED I.M

SUPPLIED AS POWDERS WHICH ARE MIXED WITH WATER
COMPOSITION:
Binder

Calcium sulphate
alpha-hemihydrate

25% - 45%
Binds the
components
together and
provide rigidity and
strength

Refractory material

Silica (quartz and

cristobalite)

Regulate thermal and

inversion expansion

Other minor
components

Powdered
graphite/carbon or
powdered copper and
various modifiers

Control setting time,

act as reducing agent

TYPES OF GYPSUM BONDED I.M

(ADA SPECIFICATION)

 USES: USED AS INVESTMENT MATERIAL TO

FORM
CAST GOLD ALLOY INLAYS, ONLAYS, CROWN
AND BRIDGE

GYPSUM (BINDER)
CALCIUM SULPHATE ALPHA HEMI HYDRATE AS BINDER USED FOR
INVESTMENT USED IN CASTING GOLD ALLOYS WITH MELTING RANGES BELOW
1000C OR 1800F
THERMAL EXPANSIONS AND CONTRACTIONS
BETWEEN 200C AND 400C ALL FORMS SHRINK BECAUSE OF DEHYDRATION
BETWEEN 400C AND 700C SLIGHT EXPANSION
AFTER 700C LARGE SHRINKAGE BECAUSE OF DECOMPOSITION AND
RELEASE OF SULFUR DIOXIDE GAS. (SOME TEXTS SAY ABOVE 1200C)

SILICA (REFRACTORY MATERIAL)

PROVIDE REFRACTORY COMPONENT DURING HEATING OF INVESTMENT AND
REGULATE THERMAL EXPANSION
INVERSION EXPANSION:
WHEN HEATED QUARTZ CHANGES FROM LOW ALPHA FORM TO HIGH BETA
FORM AT 575C AND EXPANSION OCCURS
SIMILARLY, CRISTOBALITE CHANGES FROM LOW ALPHA FORM TO HIGH BETA
FORM AT 200C 270C AND EXPANSION OCCURS

OVERALL EXPANSIONS IN GYPSUM

BONDED I.M

TO COMPENSATE FOR CASTING SHRINKAGE. MOLTEN ALLOYS SHRINK ON

SOLIDIFICATION/COOLING. MOLD MUST BE MADE CORRESPONDINGLY LARGER THAN
ORIGINAL WAX PATTERN
1. NORMAL SETTING EXPANSION- OCCURS AS INVESTMENT HARDENS IN AIR
SILICA PARTICLES INTERFERE WITH THE INTERLOCKING OF CRYSTALS, THE OUTWARD
THRUST OF THE CRYSTALS INCREASES THE EXPANSION OF INVESTMENT. MAXIMUM
EXPANSION IN AIR 0.6%
FACTORS EFFECTING: ACCELERATORS AND RETARDERS, MANIPULATIVE CONDITIONS LIKE
LOW W/P RATIO

2. HYGROSCOPIC EXPANSION- OCCURS AS INVESTMENT HARDENS WHILE

IMMERSED IN WATER
A CONTINUATION OF NORMAL SETTING EXPANSION B/C IMMERSION IN WATER
ENCOURAGES CONTINUED GROWTH OF CRYSTALS. EXPANSION RANGE 1.2-2.2%
FACTORS EFFECTING: COMPOSITION, W/P RATIO, SPATULATION, TIME OF IMMERSION, LIFE
OF INVESTMENT, CONFINEMENT, AMOUNT OF ADDED WATER

3. THERMAL AND INVERSION EXPANSION- OCCURS WHEN INVESTMENT IS

HEATED
THERMAL EXPANSION: 1% - 1.6%
FACTORS EFFECTING: W/P RATIO, CHEMICAL MODIFIERS

HYGROSCOPIC EXPANSION
1. INVESTMENT MOULD IS PLACED INTO WATER AT THE INITIAL SET STAGE.
KNOWN AS THE WATER IMMERSION TECHNIQUE AND CAN RESULT IN AN
EXPANSION OF FIVE TIMES THE NORMAL SETTING EXPANSION.
2. THE WATER ADDED TECHNIQUE IN WHICH A MEASURED VOLUME OF
WATER IS PLACED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE INVESTMENT MATERIAL
WITHIN THE CASTING RING. THIS PRODUCES A MORE READILY CONTROLLED
EXPANSION.
3. LINING THE CASTING RING WITH A LAYER OF DAMP ASBESTOS WHICH IS
ABLE TO FEED WATER TO A LARGE SURFACE AREA OF THE INVESTMENT
MOULD.

DECOMPOSITION REACTIONS ON HEATING

GYPSUM-BONDED INVESTMENTS DECOMPOSE ABOVE 1200C BY INTERACTION OF
SILICA WITH CALCIUM SULPHATE TO LIBERATE SULFUR TRIOXIDE GAS.
CASO4 + SIO2 CASIO3 + SO3
ANOTHER REACTION WHICH MAY TAKE PLACE ON HEATING GYPSUM-BONDED
INVESTMENTS ABOVE 700C IS THAT BETWEEN CALCIUM SULPHATE AND CARBON:
CASO4 + 4C CAS + 4CO
THE CARBON MAY BE DERIVED FROM THE RESIDUE LEFT AFTER BURNING OUT OF
THE WAX PATTERN OR MAY BE PRESENT AS GRAPHITE IN THE INVESTMENT.
FURTHER REACTION CAN OCCUR LIBERATING SULPHUR DIOXIDE:
3CASO4 + CAS 4CAO + 4SO2

MY LORD, INCREASE ME IN
KNOWLEDGE
AAMEEN

PHOSPHATE BONDED I.M

AVAILABLE AS POWDER THAT IS MIXED WITH WATER OR COLLOIDAL SILICA

COMPOSITION OF POWDER:
Refractory material

Silica (quartz or
cristobalite or
combination)

Binder

Magnesium oxide and

Ammonium phosphate.

others

carbon

80%
High thermal shock
resistance and
thermal expansion

Too produce clean

casting and ease
divesting

USES:
INVESTMENT FOR BASE METAL AND GOLD CASTING ALLOYS USED TO MAKE COPINGS AND
FRAMEWORKS FOR METAL-CERAMIC PROSTHESIS
FOR CAST CERAMICS
REFRACTORY DIE FOR CERAMIC BUILD-UP

SETTING REACTION
ON MIXING THE POWDER WITH WATER, FOLLOWING REACTION TAKES PLACE:

NH4H2PO4 + MGO + 5H2O + MGNH4PO46H2O

THIS BINDS THE SILICA TOGETHER TO FORM THE SET INVESTMENT MOULD.

AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT

300C AMMONIA AND WATER ARE LIBERATED BY THE REACTION:

2(MGNH4PO46H2O) MG2P2O7 + 2NH3 + 13H2O

EXPANSIONS IN PHOSPHATE BONDED I.M

SETTING EXPANSION (MORE WHEN COLLOIDAL SILICA IS USED INSTEAD OF
WATER)
INVERSION EXPANSION AND THERMAL EXPANSION
HYGROSCOPIC EXPANSION
THERMAL CONTRACTIONS

TYPES OF PHOSPHATE BONDED I.M

SILICA BONDED I.M

COMPOSITION
BINDER: SILICA GEL THAT REVERTS TO SILICA (CRISTOBALITE) ON HEATING
REFRACTORY: QUARTZ OR CRISTOBALITE POWDER
THE BINDER SOLUTION IS GENERALLY PREPARED BY MIXING ETHYL SILICATE WITH
A MIXTURE OF DILUTE HCL AND INDUSTRIAL SPIRIT. A SLOW HYDROLYSIS OF ETHYL
SILICATE OCCURS PRODUCING A SOL OF SILICIC ACID WITH THE LIBERATION OF
ETHYL ALCOHOL AS A BYPRODUCT.
(C2H5O)4SI + 4H2O SI(OH)4 + 4C2H5OH
THE SILICIC ACID SOL FORMS SILICA GEL ON MIXING WITH QUARTZ OR
CRISTOBALITE POWDER UNDER ALKALINE CONDITIONS WHICH SHRINKS ON
SETTING.

USES:
CASTING HIGH FUSING METAL PARTIAL DENTURE ALLOYS

GREEN SHRINKAGE
SILICIC ACID SOL IS MIXED WITH QUARTZ OR CRISTOBALITE AND A GEL OF
POLYSILICIC ACID IS FORMED WHICH SHRINKS ON SETTING.
THIS GEL IS DRIED AT TEMP BELOW 168C
DURING THIS DRYING, GEL LOSES ALCOHOL AND WATER AND FORMS CONC.
HARD GEL AND VOLUMETRIC CONTRACTION OCCURS WHICH REDUCES SIZE
OF MOLD.
THIS IS GREEN SHRINKAGE THAT OCCURS IN ADDITION TO SETTING
SHRINKAGE

THERMAL EXPANSION IN SILICA BONDED I.M

CONTINUED HEATING CAUSES CONSIDERABLE EXPANSION DUE TO THE
CLOSE PACKED NATURE OF THE SILICA PARTICLES. A MAXIMUM LINEAR
EXPANSION OF APPROXIMATELY 1.6% IS REACHED AT A TEMPERATURE OF
ABOUT 600C.
NO HYGROSCOPIC OR SETTING EXPANSION TAKES PLACE.

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