Corrosion of the eta'(Cu-Sn) phase in dental amalgam.

Previous studies have shown preferential corrosion of the eta'(Cu-Sn) phase in high-copper dental amalgam both in vitro and in vivo, while samples of pure eta' have shown high corrosion resistance. To clarify this contradiction, samples of pure eta' crystals mixed with other phases were prepared and tested. Evaluation of the corrosion resistance was based on the results of coulometry at constant potential and potentiodynamic polarization. The corrosion susceptibility of eta' in the matrix of gamma 1(Ag-Hg) was considerably higher than the susceptibility of isolated eta'. The susceptibility of pure eta' also could be increased by plating it will small amounts of Hg. It was concluded that in dental amalgam, the presence of mercury in the phases surrounding eta' reduces its resistance to corrosion. Although eta' is more resistant to corrosion than gamma 2(Sn-Hg) which appears in low-copper amalgams, it is the least corrosion resistant major phase in high-copper amalgams and can suffer deterioration.