Amalgam (chemistry) miners seeking gold nuggets with the aid of an engine-powered water vacuum mounted on a float. Where stamp mills were used to crush gold-bearing ore to fines, a part of the extraction process involved the use of mercury-wetted copper plates, over which the crushed fines were washed. A periodic scraping and re-mercurizing of the plate resulted in amalgam for further processing. Amalgam obtained by either process was then heated in a distillation retort, recovering the mercury for reuse and leaving behind the gold. As this released mercury vapors to the atmosphere, the process could induce adverse health effects and long
Amalgam (dentistry) properties of amalgam. Creep or plastic deformation happens when subjected to intra-oral stresses such as chewing or grinding. Creep causes the amalgam to flow and protrudes from the margin of the cavity forming unsupported edges. ‘Ditch’ is formed around the margins of the amalgam restoration and make it prone to fracture. The γ2 phase of amalgam is primarily responsible for high values of creep. Corrosion occurs when an electrolytic cells of anode and cathode set up in the presence of electrolytes. The multiphase structure of dental amalgam can contribute as an anode or cathode with saliva as electrolytes. Corrosion may