# Dental Scrap Preparation



## RickRag (Oct 1, 2018)

Hi Guys,

I have about 7 oz. troy of white metal dental scrap. It is likely base metal mixed with gold, platinum, palladium and other non precious metals. It also has alot of porcelain fused to it to resemble tooth color as well as underlying opaquers designed to keep the metal from showing through the translucent porcelains. I tried melting down a small amount with an oxy-acetylene torch using a large rosebud tip designed for casting and a little borax flux but the result was a semi-molten mass of goo. It wouldn't flow, pour or otherwise separate into slag and metal that could be cooled and separated. I had to physically pry it out of the crucible in its semi molten state. It didn't come out easily and some of the metal had not melted, as though it was insulated from the heat by the amount of glass/flux/silicates. The torch used is designed to melt non-preciuous casting alloys for just this purpose. Any suggestions on how I can isloate the metal from the non-metal trash?


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## Lou (Oct 1, 2018)

Smash away the ceramic material and melt the metal.

Most likely vitalium or some other Co based alloy like F75.


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## ssabovic (Oct 2, 2018)

could be titanium, nickel allys(hast x),mixed with it ,
first you have to separate it,break ceramics and melt,
regards


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## Lou (Oct 2, 2018)

Usually see CP titanium in posts but I’ve never seen nickel alloys.


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## ssabovic (Oct 2, 2018)

Product: Argeloy N.P. / Alloy Color: Silver (white) / Composition: 54.0% Nickel, 22.0% Chromium, 9.0% Molybdenum, 4.0% Iron, 4.0% Niobium, 4.0% Tantalum, 3.0 % Trace elements.this is only one of dental alloys nickel alloys.
regards


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## 4metals (Oct 2, 2018)

After you crush and remove the ceramics, pass a strong rare earth magnet over the material to pull out the magnetic alloys. With a 50% nickel content it will follow the magnet.


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## Lou (Oct 3, 2018)

ssabovic said:


> Product: Argeloy N.P. / Alloy Color: Silver (white) / Composition: 54.0% Nickel, 22.0% Chromium, 9.0% Molybdenum, 4.0% Iron, 4.0% Niobium, 4.0% Tantalum, 3.0 % Trace elements.this is only one of dental alloys nickel alloys.
> regards



https://www.argen.com/store/products/3227
Where did you get the alloy composition? Cut sheet says even higher Ni than that!! Still, doubt very much it’s used in posts. 

https://www.argen.com/store/products/3279

The “special” is cobalt. I’ve never seen much Ni in dental and I thought they do not use nickel because of sensitization concerns.


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## ssabovic (Oct 3, 2018)

http://dentalloy.com/nickel.html,


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## Lou (Oct 3, 2018)

Wow seem to be a few of them; like I said, I’ve never seen nickel alloys...we get the precious metals alloys in here and occasionally the Co ones. 

4metals gave good advice as usual


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## ssabovic (Oct 3, 2018)

most of ni alloys which have 50 + ni in it have chromium which neutralize magnetic properties , and you cannot see any movement when you place rare-earth magnets next to it (neodymium, samarium, magnets)or regular alnico magnets , you have to test it with some metal testing machine.


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## Lou (Oct 3, 2018)

That is highly dependent on the Cr, is it not?

SS304 will attract to a very strong magnet, will it not?

Thanks for your experience ssabovic!


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