title: Metallurgical characterization of controlled memory wire nickel-titanium rotary instruments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To improve the fracture resistance of nickel-titanium (NiTi) files, manufacturers have introduced new alloys and developed new manufacturing processes for the fabrication of NiTi files. This study aimed to examine the phase transformation behavior and microstructure of NiTi instruments from a novel controlled memory NiTi wire (CM wire).
  
  
  METHODS
  Instruments of EndoSequence (ES), ProFile (PF), ProFile Vortex (Vortex), Twisted Files (TF), Typhoon (TYP), and Typhoon™ CM (TYP CM), all size 25/.04, were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Microstructures of etched instruments were observed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with x-ray energy-dispersive spectrometric (EDS) analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DSC analyses showed that each segment of the TYP CM and Vortex instruments had an austenite transformation completion or austenite-finish (A(f)) temperature exceeding 37°C, whereas the NiTi instruments made from conventional superelastic NiTi wire (ES, PF, and TYP) and TF had A(f) temperatures substantially below mouth temperature. The higher A(f) temperature of TYP CM instruments was consistent with a mixture of austenite and martensite structure, which was observed at room temperature with XRD. All NiTi instruments had room temperature martensite microstructures consisting of colonies of lenticular features with substantial twinning. EDS analysis indicated that the precipitates in all NiTi instruments were titanium-rich, with an approximate composition of Ti(2)Ni.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TYP CM and Vortex instruments with heat treatment contribute to increase austenite transformation temperature. The CM instrument has significant changes in the phase transformation behavior, compared with conventional superelastic NiTi instruments.
authors: Division of Endodontics, Department of Oral Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors: Ya
authors: Y
authors: Shen
authors: Hui-Min
authors: HM
authors: Zhou
authors: Yu-Feng
authors: YF
authors: Zheng
authors: Les
authors: L
authors: Campbell
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Peng
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Haapasalo
mesh_terms: D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D003722:Dental Alloys; D003762:Dental Instruments; D004548:Elasticity; D008669:Metallurgy; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009532:Nickel; D044367:Phase Transition; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D014025:Titanium; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D003722:Dental Alloys; C040654:titanium nickelide; C093824:Martensite; C093826:Austenite; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium