[Application of sintered Ti powder to dental prostheses].
OBJECTIVE
Powder metallurgy is a metal processing technology. Porous titanium produced from powder is widely used. The method is applied to titanium, which is not easy to cast as it sinters under melting point. In prosthetic dentistry, powder metallurgy can be applied to high fusing metal that is biocompatible. In this study, we examined the mechanical characteristics of the Ti sheet produced by sintering and discussed its application to dental prosthesis manufacturing.


METHODS
Ti sheets of 1-mm thickness, in which a binder was added to spherical Ti powder, were produced with the Doctor Blade Method. The sintering was carried out between 900-1150 degrees C at 6 temperatures. The sintered compact was evaluated by dimensional change rate, hardness test, bending strength, tensile strength and SEM observation. Another compact was sintered on the refractory cast.


RESULTS
Mechanical strength significantly increased with sintering temperature. In addition, excellent mechanical strength was acquired by adding crushed powder and performing the de-binder process. In the sintering on the refractory cast, pre-baking for more than 100 minutes and sintering at over 1050 degrees C was needed for practical application.


CONCLUSIONS
It thus seems possible to apply sintered titanium to dental prostheses. However, it will be necessary to examine the control of the shrinkage of the sintered compact in the future too.
Hikosaka
Tatsuya
T
The First Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University, Nagoya, 464-8651 Aichi. hikohiko@dpc.aichi-gakuin.ac.jp
Tanaka
Yoshinobu
Y
Hoshiai
Kazumoto
K
Kanazawa
Takeshi
T
Nakamura
Yoshinori
Y
Tsuda
Kenji
K
Ohasi
Hideya
H
D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D017266:Dental Prosthesis; D003819:Denture Bases; D011208:Powders; D014025:Titanium
D011208:Powders; D014025:Titanium