Localized electrochemical investigations of Pd73Cu13.5 ceramic firing dental alloy in DIN-saliva

Corrosion resistance is a very important property of dental alloys, in addition to, e.g., strength, ductility and casting accuracy. The processing (casting and ceramic firing) of the with ceramic veneerable dental alloy Pd73Cu13.5 leads to a preferential accumulation of the less noble element copper in eutectic micro-structural constitutes at the surface and mainly at the grain boundaries. The occurrence of locally corrosion phenomena of copper, which induce toxic effects in vivo, and which lead furthermore to a roughening of grains and to the formation of pits and crevices was proven by spatially resolved electrochemical measurements using a capillary-based droplet cell.