Influence of the biological fluid on the corrosion of dental amalgam

An electrochemical study of corrosion of Tytin dental amalgam was carried out in electrolytes similar to body fluids: artificial saliva with or without lactic acid, a polymer-containing product of the same composition as Glandosane and in Krebs–Ringer solution. The electrochemical techniques of open circuit potential, polarisation curves, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance were employed as a function of immersion time to characterise the surface processes occurring and bring out the differences between the different solutions. The influence of pH was tested in solutions of artificial saliva with or without lactic acid. The results demonstrated the importance of the organic component on the rate of corrosion and of adsorption phenomena on the amalgam surface. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.