Anodic polarization behavior and microstructure of a gallium-based alloy.

A gallium-based alloy (GA) that was developed as a substitute for dental amalgam was investigated for anodic polarization behavior in deoxygenated Ringers solution, 37 degrees C. The related microstructures were examined and microanalyses were conducted. Four polarization tests were conducted by scanning from -300mV to +1,000 mV (vs. SCE) at 2 mV/s. Polarization of the first sample (GA-1) was stopped after the first anodic dissolution peak (-100 mV, 1.5-2.0 x 10(-3) A/cm2). The fourth sample (GA-4) was interrupted at the secondary peak (+1000 mV, 0.3 A/cm2). It was found that (1) the early stage of the first peak is related to selective dissolution of divalent tin ions, followed by a dissolution of Ga. Transmission electron diffraction (TED) identified the brown corrosion product as Ga2O3; (2) the GA-4 sample was covered with the white corrosion product of mainly Sn+4, identified as SnO2. In addition, the current density of the GA sample when coupled with a high-copper dental amalgam was 0.03 A/cm2 (with +1,000 mV) at the second peak which was about a ten times lower value than for the uncoupled sample; (3) the uncoupled gallium alloy and gallium alloy coupled with a high-copper dental amalgam showed 10(3)-10(4) times higher anodic current density than that of an uncoupled high-copper dental amalgam, suggesting that the gallium alloy is more corrosion prone.