Solder joints and other connectors

Dr.ehsan kiamanesh
Soldering or brazing

In industrial metalworking, a distinction is made between soldering, in

which the filler metal has a melting point below 450°C (842°F), and
brazing, in which the filler has a melting point above 450°C.

Rigid connections in dentistry are generally fabricated at temperatures

above 450°C, but the process has almost always been referred to in the
dental literature as soldering.
welding

In welding, the connection is created by melting adjacent surfaces that are often in
contact with each other, with heat or pressure.

A filler metal whose melting temperature is about the same as that of the parent
metal can be used during welding.
Soldering Flux and Antiflux
Soldering Flux

Soldering flux is applied to a metal surface to remove oxides or prevent their formation.

When the oxides are removed, the solder is free to wet the clean metal surface.

Fluxes are available in powder, liquid, or paste form.

The paste is popular because it can be easily placed and confined.

Borax glass (Na2B4O7) is frequently used with gold alloys because of its affinity for copper
oxides.

At present, none of the new fluxes are totally capable of preventing oxide formation during
heating of the base metal or non-noble alloys.

Soldering of base metal alloys is still unpredictable.

All fluxes should be prevented from contacting porcelain-veneered surfaces. The contact
causes pitting and porcelain discoloration.
Soldering Antiflux
Antiflux is used to limit the spreading of solder.

It is placed on a casting before the flux application to limit the flow of molten solder.

Graphite (from a pencil) is often used as an antiflux. However, the carbon easily evaporates
at higher temperatures, leaving the work piece unprotected.

A more reliable antiflux is iron oxide (rouge) in a suitable solvent such as turpentine, which
can be painted on the casting with a small brush.
Soldering Investment

Soldering investments are similar in composition to casting investments .

Casting investments, both gypsum and phosphate bonded, mixed with water only, have
been used for soldering.

However, the refractory component in casting investments usually creates unwanted

thermal expansion and therefore excessively separates the units to be joined.

Soldering investments ideally contain fused quartz (the lowest thermally expanding form of
silica) as their refractory component.
SELECTION OF SOLDERING
TECHNIQUE
Soldering All-Metal Partial Fixed Dental Prostheses

Conventional soldering

Soldering of all-metal FDPs consisting of type III or IV gold units requires the use of a low-
fusing solder.

Through the use of the same low-fusing solder, regular gold retainers can also be connected
with metal-ceramic components.

A gas-air torch is used for either of these procedures.

Soldering Metal-Ceramic Partial
Fixed Dental Prostheses

 Presoldering

 Postsoldering
Pre-soldering
 with high-fusing solder (≈1100°C [2012°F])

 This has the advantage of allowing the connected prosthesis to be tried in the mouth in
the unglazed state. Any necessary adjustments can be made to the porcelain, which fuses
at a lower temperature than does the pre-soldered connector.

 A disadvantage results from having to apply the porcelain to a longer structure, which
needs support during firing to prevent high-temperature deformation or sag.

 Pre-soldering requires a gas-oxygen torch.

Post-soldering
 with lower-fusing solder (750°C [1382°F]).

 all porcelain adjustment and firing, including that for the final characterization and glazing,
must be completed before the soldering.

 In addition, customized firing supports are not needed because sag is not a problem (the
lengths of the individual components are shorter).

 Post-soldering is performed either in a porcelain furnace or with a gas-air torch.

 Because the proximal areas are shaped before soldering, a post-soldered connector can
often be made to look more natural than a pre-soldered or cast connector .
Step-by-Step Procedure
Pre-soldering
As with cast connectors, connectors to be soldered are waxed to final shape but are then
sectioned with a thin ribbon saw ;

therefore, when the components are cast, the surfaces to be joined are flat, parallel, and a
controlled distance apart. This allows accurate soldering with a minimum of distortion.

Molten solder flows toward the location where the temperature is highest. In metal, the two
flat surfaces previously created in wax retain heat, which ensures that the highest temperature
is in the connector area.
Post-soldering
Soldering Gap Width

As gap width increases, soldering accuracy decreases.

Extremely small gap widths can prevent proper solder flow and cause the joint to be
incomplete or weak.

An even soldering gap of about 0.25 mm is recommended.

If a connector area has an uneven soldering gap width, obtaining a connector of adequate
cross-sectional dimension without resulting distortion is more difficult.
Defects in the Casting

Dr.ehsan kiamanesh
Rough casting

The surface of a casting should be smooth, although finishing and polishing are still required.

Lines or grooves in the casting are usually present but overlooked in the wax pattern.

They may necessitate a remake, particularly if they were positioned near the margin or on
the fitting surface.

Generalized casting roughness may indicate a breakdown of the investment from excessive
burnout temperature.
Possible Causes:

 Excess surfactant

 Improper water-to-powder ratio

 Excessive burnout temperature

Nodules
Bubbles of gas trapped between the wax pattern and the investment produce nodules on the
casting surface.

Even minute nodules can limit the seating of the casting to a considerable degree.

When they are large or situated on a margin, they usually necessitate remaking of the
restoration.
When small, they can often be removed with a round bur.

A binocular microscope is extremely helpful for detecting and removing nodules.

A slight excess of metal should be removed to ensure that the nodule does not interfere with
complete seating.
Keys to avoiding nodules include :

 a careful investing technique :

1. use of a surfactant
2. vacuum spatulation
3. careful coating of the wax pattern with investment.

Castings made with phosphate-bonded investment are especially prone to

imperfections, and experience and care are necessary to routinely produce castings
that are free of nodules.
Large nodule

Possible Causes :

 Air trapped during investing procedure

Multiple nodules
Possible Causes :

 Inadequate vacuum during investing

 Improper brush technique
 Lack of surfactant
Nodules on occlusal surface

Possible Causes :

 Excessive vibration
Fins
 Fins are caused by cracks in the investment that have been filled
with molten metal.
Possible Causes :

These cracks can result from :

 weak mix of investment (high ratio of water to powder)

 excessive casting force

 Premature heating (mold still wet)

 steam generated from too-rapid heating

 reheating an invested pattern

 An improperly situated pattern (too close to the periphery of the casting ring)

 premature or rough handling of the ring after investing

 Dropped mold
Incompleteness

If an area of wax is too thin (less than 0.3 mm), which occurs
occasionally on the veneering surface of a metal-ceramic restoration,
an incomplete casting may result.

Thickening of the wax in these areas is recommended.

Incomplete casting of normal-thickness wax patterns may result from:

 inadequate heating of the metal

 incomplete wax elimination
 excessive cooling (“freezing”) of the mold
 insufficient casting force
 not enough metal
 metal spillage
Voids or Porosity
Inclusion porosity

 Voids in the casting (in particular in the margin area) may be caused by Particle of
investment dislodged during casting

 A well-waxed smooth sprue helps prevent this.

Incomplete casting with shiny& rounded defect

Possible Causes:

Incomplete wax elimination

solidification shrinkage porosity
(“suck-back”)
Porosity resulting from solidification shrinkage (“suck-back”) occurs if
the metal in the sprue solidifies before the metal in the mold.
Possible Causes :

 a sprue is too narrow, too long, or incorrectly located

 a large casting is made

in the absence of a chill vent

 Gases may dissolve in the molten alloy during melting and leave porosity
Back-pressure porosity
Back-pressure porosity may be caused by air pressure in the mold as the molten metal
enters.

Its occurrence is reduced through:

 the use of a more porous investment

 location of the pattern near the end of the ring (6 to 8 mm)

 casting with a vacuum technique.

Marginal Discrepancies

Possible Causes :

 Wax pattern distortion

 Uneven expansion
Dimensional Inaccuracies

 The casting can be either too small or too large( Inadequate or excessive expansion )

Possible Causes :

 Improper water-to-powder ratio

 Improper mixing time

 Improper burnout temperature

Thanks for your attention