Initial Mercury Evaporation from Amalgams Made with In-containing Commercial Alloys

Abstract

This study examined the Hg evaporation behavior during the early setting of amalgams that contain In in the alloy powders. Two different types of commercially available In-containing alloys were tested: an In -particle admixed powder (Indisperse, D) and an In-containing single-composition powder (Indiloy, S). Mercury evaporation from specimens (4mm in dia, 8mm tall) was monitored 10 min after trituration to 180 min using a mercury vapor analyzer according to the methods used in a previous study1). The amounts released from 10 min to 180 min were compared with the results of our previous study on a single-composition amalgam (Tytin, T) with pure Hg and with Hg-In liquids (5 or 10%). Amalgam S and In-containing T terminated Hg evaporation within 180 min. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in the amount released between T amalgam made using pure mercury and D, and between T amalgam made with 5%In-containing mercury and S amalgam. Mercury release from amalgam D was significantly (p<0.05) higher than from S or both types of In-containing T amalgam. Adding In to mercury or alloying In into the alloy particles appeared to be more effective in reducing the mercury vapor than admixing pure In particles into the amalgam.