DENTAL MATERIAL 302

CHAPTER FOUR
CASTING TECHNOLOGY
BY
DR: MOHAMED MESAED
MOBILE: 01007060099
YEAR: 2022
 Casting technology
- Purpose of casting procedure to provide exact metallic duplicate of missing tooth or teeth structure with maximum possible
accuracy in all dimensions for inlays or onlays or crowns or bridges or removable partial denture framework from metal
Steps of casting procedures
1. Wax pattern construction 2. Spruing. 3. Investing 4. Wax elimination
5. Casting. 6. Divesting 7. Finishing & Polishing
1. Wax pattern construction
1. Direct technique. 2. Indirect technique. 3. Indirect and direct technique.
2. Spruing.
I-S.N: Role or function of sprue:
1- Proper handling of wax pattern without distortion. 2- Create channel to allow molten wax to escape from mold.
3- Enable molten alloy to flow into mold. 4. Act as reservoir for molten alloy to compensate for solidification shrinkage.
II- Types of sprue material:
1. Metals (Hollow or solid). 2. Plastics (Hollow or solid). 3. Waxes
- G.R: Wax sprue or sprites are preferred for most casting? - Because melt at same rate as wax pattern so allowing easy
escape of molten wax.
- Metal & plastic sprue soften at higher temperature than wax pattern so should remove after investing or before wax elimination
III- Attachment and direction of sprue:

- Sprue attach to thickest part of wax pattern with 45° angle to proximal wall or non-functional cusp this orientation avoids
turbulent flow of molten metal and necking (contains voids and air bubbles leading to porosity)
IV- Diameter (Thickness) of sprue:
- Equal or slightly higher than thickest part of wax pattern because will improve flow of alloy into mold and provides reservoir
V- Reservoir:
- Piece of wax attached 1 mm away from wax pattern
- Last part to solidify so allow continuous feeding of molten alloy to compensate casting shrinkage + avoid shrinkage porosity

VI- Number of sprues:

- May be single, double or multiple - There may be a main sprue with accessory sprues

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 VII- Length of sprue:
- Space between casting ring and wax pattern
- Should keep wax pattern about 6 – 8 mm in gold and 3 – 4 mm in base metals from end of casting ring

N.B: If it:
- Short sprue (More space 10 - 12): Prevent escape of air leading to back pressure porosity
- Long sprue (Less space 3 – 4): Fracture of investment as mold will not with stand impact force of entering molten alloy
VIII- Crucible former: - Usually made of rubber which constitutes base of casting ring during investing
IX- Cast ring and liner: - Cast ring may be metallic or rubber ring (Complete or split)
- Selections must be done after choice of casting alloy and investment material
- Liner or asbestos: Wet paper lined cast ring

Rubber ring Split ring Metallic ring

- S.N: Function or role of liner or asbestos or ring liner or wet paper:

1. Creates space to allow for investment expansion
2. Allow setting of investment material under water to give hygroscopic expansion
3. Facilitate removal of investment from casting ring after casting
- N.B: It should be shorter 3 mm from both end of ring to provide retention of investment to ring.
- N.B: Asbestos is carcinogenic so replaced by cellulose (paper) or by ceramic (aluminium silicate) or by combination
3. Investing
- Wax is a hydrophobic so improper wetting of wax pattern by investment will produce irregular surface of metallic cast
- Wax has low surface energy
1- It minimized by adding surfactant (wetting agent – surface acting agent – debulblizers – detergents – soap)
- G.R: Adding surfactant on wax pattern? - To increase surface energy of wax pattern so facilitate wetting of wax pattern by
investment (decrease contact angle between wax & investment) and produce smooth casting surface.
2- Wax pattern must be invested immediately to avoid distortion of wax pattern which may be due to release of internal stresses
3- Method of investing the wax pattern:
1. Hand investing method or procedure 2. Vacuum investing method or procedure
- N.B: Vacuum mixing of investment is highly recommended than hand mixing to obtain casting with minimal surface defects
(none porous mix or avoid air bubbles)

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4- Mix of investing of wax pattern:
1. Regular mix investment technique (Mix the investment and apply immediately to wax pattern)
2. Double mix investment technique
- N.B: Double mix technique done by paint wax pattern first by a thin mix of investment by brush then dusted by or sprayed by
investment powder over thin mix to form investment core and then apply regular mix on it
- N.B: Double mix is better than regular mix because it improves adaptability of investment material to surface of wax pattern and
avoids distortion of wax
- N.B: After ring is filled to rim, allow investment to set for about one hour then remove crucible former (Rubber) and if ring
rubber also removed and if sprue from metal remove it but if sprue from wax do not remove it
4. Wax Elimination or burn out
1. Bring furnace to 200°c and hold this temperature for 30 minutes so all traces of wax are vaporized (Most of the wax will be
eliminated by this time)
2. Increase temperature gradually to final burn out temperature about 650°c will lead to thermal expansion (silica) of
investment so mold temperature is now ready for casting
5. Casting
A- Casting machine required:
1. Heat source to melt alloy
2. Casting force or pressure so molten metal enter mold
A. Melting of the alloy (heat source):
1. Using flame 2. Using electric furnace
N.B: Flame use to melting gold alloys is done by Gas air torch or blow pipe flame but base metals done by oxyacetylene flame
or torch or both Gold – Base metals by using electric furnace
B. Method of driving the alloy into the mold by:
1. Air pressure casting machine (Compressed air) used with gold alloys (high density)
2. Centrifugal casting machine used with base metals (low density)
3. Both centrifugal and gas pressure with an attached vacuum system (The best way)
N.B: So molten metal is forced into mold cavity then solidification of alloy is done under pressure and vacuum then allow for
cooling and when color of molten alloy has changed from red to black color ring should be quenched in water
6. Divesting 7. Finishing and Polishing
Casting defects
(I) Distorted casting:
- Due to: 1. Distortion of wax pattern 2. Improper handling of wax pattern 3. Delayed investing of wax pattern
(II) Dimensional inaccurate casting:
- It means small or large casting may be due to:
1. Improper type of investment material 2. Improper temperature or heating

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(III) Surface roughness of the casting:
A. Presence of air bubbles on surface of wax pattern during investment procedure which is due to:
1. Improper use of wetting agent 2. Improper vacuum investing
B. Improper heating of investment:
1. Too rapid heating of investment will lead to fins (Cracks) in investment.
2. Overheating of the investment will lead to decomposition. - N.B: Heating of the investment must be gradually
(IV) Porosity:
A. Localized shrinkage porosity:
1. Shrinkage spot porosity happens at point of attachment to sprue which due to using thin sprue or lack of reservoir leading to
incomplete feeding of the molten alloy
2. Suck back porosity due to incorrect sequence of solidification (The molten alloy in reservoir solidify first) as result of
formation of hot spot zone
B. Back pressure porosity: due to
1. Short sprue 2. None porous investment or insufficient venting of investment
(V) Incomplete casting and rounded margin:
- Due to resistance of the flow of molten alloy into the mold:
1. Using short sprue 2. Insufficient venting of the investment. 3. Insufficient casting pressure
4. Under heating of the alloy causing premature solidification 5. Incomplete wax elimination