Age-hardening of dental Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloys.

Age-hardening mechanisms of dental Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloys were investigated by means of electron microscopic observations. Hardening was due to the precipitation of the L10 type CuPd-ordered platelet in the grain interior and to the discontinuous precipitation at the grain boundary. The characteristics of age-hardening curves were determined by rates of continuous and discontinuous precipitation.