CASTING DEFECTS

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 Casting Defects
• Defects in castings can be classified under four headings:
1. Distortion;
2. Surface roughness and irregularities;
3. Porosity and
4. Incomplete or missing detail

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 Distortion
• Distortion of the casting is probably related to a
distortion of the wax pattern, it can be minimized by
proper manipulation of the wax and handling of the
pattern.
• The setting and hygroscopic expansions of the
investment may produce a non-uniform expansion of
the walls of the pattern.
• Factors that affect distortion are:
1. The configuration of the pattern,
2. The type of wax, and
3. The thickness influence the distortion that occurs
• Distortion increases as the thickness of the pattern
decreases, the lower is the setting expansion of the
investment, the less lower is distortion.
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 Surface Roughness, Irregularities,
And Discoloration
• Surface roughness is defined as relatively finely spaced surface
imperfections whose height, width, and direction establish the
predominant surface pattern.

• Surface irregularities are isolated imperfections, such as nodules,

that are not characteristic of the entire surface area.

• Improper technique can lead to a marked increase in surface

roughness as well as to the formation of surface irregularities.

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• Surface discoloration and roughness can result from
sulfur contamination.

• The interaction of the molten alloy with sulfur produces

a black or gray layer on the surface of gold alloys that is
brittle and does not clean readily during pickling.
A black-coated noble metal alloy casting resulting from
sulfur contamination or oxidation during melting of the
alloy.

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 Air Voids
• Small nodules on a casting are caused by air
bubbles that become attached to the pattern during
or subsequent to the investing procedure.
• The best method to avoid air bubbles is to use the
vacuum investing technique.
• A wetting agent may be helpful in preventing the
collection of air bubbles on the surface of the
pattern.
• It is best to air-dry the wetting agent, because any
excess liquid dilutes the investment, possibly
producing surface irregularities on the casting.
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 Water Films
• Wax is repellent to water; if the investment becomes
separated from the wax pattern in some manner, a
water film may form irregularly over the surface.
• If the pattern is slightly moved, jarred, or vibrated
after investing or if the painting procedure does not
result in intimate contact of the investment with the
pattern, such a condition may result.
• If too little water is used, the investment may be un-
manageably thick, so that it cannot be properly
applied to the pattern.
• A wetting agent is useful for the prevention of such
irregularities. 141
 Foreign Bodies

• When foreign substances get into the mold a surface

roughness may be produced
• A rough crucible former with investment clinging to it may
roughen the investment on its removal so that bits of
investment are carried into the mold with the molten alloy.
• Usually contamination results not only in surface roughness
but also in incomplete areas or surface voids.
• Any casting that shows sharp, well-defined deficiencies
indicates the presence of some foreign particles in the mold,
such as pieces of investment and bits of carbon from a flux.
• Bright-appearing concavities may be the result of flux being
carried into the mould with the metal.

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 Impact Of Molten Alloy On The Mold Wall

• The direction of the sprue former should be such that the molten gold alloy does not impact a
weak portion of the mould surface.

• Sometimes the abraded area is smooth, so that it cannot be detected on the surface of the
casting.

• Such a depression in the mould is reflected as a raised area on the casting, which prevents
complete seating of the casting.

• It can be avoided by proper spruing so as to prevent the direct impact of the molten metal at an
angle of 90° to the investment surface.
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 Pattern Position

• If several patterns are invested in the same ring, they should not be placed too close together.

• Likewise, positioning too many patterns in the same plane in the mould should be avoided.

• The expansion of wax is much greater than that of the investment, and this may cause
breakdown or cracking of the investment if the spacing between patterns is less than 3 mm.

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 Carbon Inclusions

• Carbon from a crucible, an improperly adjusted torch, or a carbon-containing investment, can be

absorbed by the alloy during casting.

• These particles may lead to the formation of carbides or even create visible carbon inclusions.

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 Porosity
• Porosity may occur both within the interior region of a casting and in the external surface which
results in surface roughness.

• Internal porosity weakens the casting and also cause discoloration.

• If severe, it can cause plaque accumulation at the tooth-restoration interface, and secondary
caries or periodontal disease may result within the adjacent tooth structure.

• Although porosity in a casting cannot be prevented entirely, it can be minimized by the use of
proper techniques.

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 Porosities in noble metal alloy castings are classified below.

• Solidification defects
A. Localized shrinkage porosity
B. Microporosity
C. Suck-back porosity

• Trapped gases
A. Pinhole porosity
B. Gas inclusions
C. Subsurface porosity
D. Back pressure porosity

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 Localized Shrinkage
• Generally caused by premature termination of the flow of
molten metal during solidification.

• Continual feeding of molten metal through the sprue must

occur to make up for the shrinkage of metal volume during
solidification.

• Localized shrinkage generally occurs near the sprue-casting

junction.

• If the sprue freezes in its cross section before this flow is Localized shrinkage porosity in pontic of
three-unit bridge caused by delayed
completed, a localized shrinkage void will occur in the last solidification and lack of a chill-set sprue.

portion of the casting that solidifies.

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 Microporosity
• Microporosity occurs from solidification shrinkage.

• It occurs when the solidification is too rapid for the micro-voids

to segregate to the liquid pool.

• This premature solidification causes the formation of small,

irregular voids.

• Such phenomena can occur from rapid solidification if the mold

or casting temperature is too low.

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 Pinhole- Porosity
• Oxygen is dissolved by some of the metals, while they are in the
molten state.

• During solidification, the gas is expelled to form blebs and pores

in the metal.

• The porosity that extends to the surface is usually in the form of

small pinpoint holes.

• When the surface is polished, other pinholes appear.

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 Gas Inclusion Porosity

• The gas inclusion porosities are usually much larger than pinhole porosity.

• Larger spherical porosities can be caused by gas occluded from a poorly adjusted torch flame or
by use of the mixing or oxidizing zones of the flame rather than the reducing zone.

• If the alloy has been used before, these types of porosities can be minimized by pre-melting and
correctly adjusting and positioning the torch flame during melting.

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 Subsurface Porosity

• They may be caused by the simultaneous nucleation of solid grains

and gas bubbles at the first moment that the alloy freezes at the
mould walls.

• This type of porosity can be diminished by controlling the rate at

which the molten metal enters the mould.

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 Suck-Back Porosity

• It occurs externally, usually in the interior of a crown near the area

of the sprue, if a hot spot has been created by the hot metal
impinging from the sprue channel on a point of the mould wall.
• The entering metal impinges onto the mold surface at this point
and creates a higher localized mold temperature in this region,
known as a hot spot.
• This hot spot causes the local region to freeze last and results in
what is called suck-back porosity.
• Suck-back porosity often occurs at an occluso-axial line angle or
inciso-axial line angle that is not well rounded.

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• A hot spot may retain a localized pool of molten metal after other
areas of the casting have solidified.

• This, in turn, creates a shrinkage void or suck back porosity.

• This type of porosity defect can be eliminated by flaring the point

of sprue attachment and reducing the mold-melt temperature
differential—that is, lowering the casting temperature by about
30 °C.

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 Back-Pressure Porosity
• Entrapped air bubbles on the inner surface of the casting, are
sometimes referred to as back-pressure porosity.
• This is caused by the inability of the air in the mold to escape
through the pores in the investment or by the pressure gradient
that displaces the air pocket toward the end of the investment
via the molten sprue and button.
• Frequently found at the cavity surface of a crown or mesio-
occlusal-distal casting.
• It can be prevented by use of the dense modern investments,
by an increase in mold density produced by vacuum investing,
and by the tendency for the mold to clog with residual carbon
when the low-heat technique is used.

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 Incomplete Casting
• The obvious cause is that the molten alloy has been prevented in some
manner from completely filling the mould.

• At least two factors that may inhibit the ingress of the liquefied alloy
are insufficient venting of the mold and high viscosity of the fused
metal.

• The first consideration, insufficient venting, is directly related to the

back pressure exerted by the air in the mould.

• If the air cannot be vented quickly, the molten alloy does not fill the
mold before it solidifies.

• These failures are usually exemplified by rounded, incomplete

margins. 156
• A second common cause of an incomplete casting is
incomplete elimination of wax residues from the mold.
• If too many products of combustion remain in the mold, the
pores in the investment may become filled, so that the air
cannot be vented completely.

Incomplete casting resulting from incomplete wax

elimination is characterized by rounded margins and
shiny appearance.

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SUMMARY OF CASTING
DEFECTS

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Type of Failure Procedural Errors Solution

Suck-back porosity Sprue attached at a right angle to Sprue should always be attached at
the wax pattern, creating a the bulkiest portion of the wax pattern
“hot spot” directed at 45° to the surface

Improper margin fit Improper handling of wax pattern Hard wax can be used for wax pattern
during removal from the oral fabrication.
cavity Careful handling of the pattern during
removal along the path of insertion,
taking care not to disturb the margins

Air bubble in the Air bubble entrapment during Prevented by carrying out the mixing
Casting investing procedure and investing procedure under
vacuum
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 Type of Failure Procedural Errors Solution

Water film Pattern is slightly moved, jarred, or Prevented by proper use of a wetting
vibrated after investing agent and proper care of the invested
casting ring

Contamination of the alloy Reaction of the alloy with crucible Choose appropriate crucible for each
used alloy
Crucible unable to withstand the
temperature

Microporosities Solidification occurs too rapidly Proper temperature to be maintained

(when the mold or casting
temperature is too low)

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 Type of Failure Procedural Errors Solution
Pits in casting • Debris in mould • Join ingate, sprue former, and
• Dirty wax pattern with continuous smooth
• Loose debris in crucible surface with no jagged areas of
• Mould temperature too hot investment to be broken off and
pushed into mold ahead of alloy
• Use only clean, new wax for
patterns and sprue formers
• Use clean crucible for each casting
• Lower burnout temperature since
too high temperature causes
investment breakdown, producing
weak surface easily abraded by
alloy
Fins on castings • Over vibration during investment • Avoid over vibration and place
or disturbing ring during set investment ring in area free from
• Heating ring too rapidly causes disturbances until investment is
moisture in mold to form steam completely set
and rupture out mold • Heat mold slowly.
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 Type of Failure Procedural Errors Solution
Localized shrinkage porosity & • Using a sprue with a very small Larger sprue diameter to allow proper
Incomplete casting diameter flow of molten metal into the mold
• Discrepancy in temperatures • Sprue to be attached at the bulkiest
between the casting ring/ mold and portion of the wax pattern directed at
the molten alloy 45° to the surface
• Insufficient casting pressure during • Proper balance between mold and
the casting process molten alloy temperatures
• Incomplete elimination of wax and • Pressure on the arm of the casting
incomplete venting machine should be maintained for at
• Higher viscosity of the molten alloy least 4 sec to allow the alloy to fill the
mould
• A vent of 0.5 mm in diameter should
be provided to allow escape of gases
• Proper casting temperature of the
molten metal to be maintained during
casting

Contamination of the casting The casting held with steel tongs Use of steel tongs should be avoided
during pickling
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 Type of Failure Procedural Errors Solution

Rounded margins • Incomplete burnout of wax • Heat soak mould for 1 hour
pattern at minimum of 950° F (510°
• Insufficient heating of alloy C) to ensure elimination of
before casting carbon residue
• Margins melted while • Heat alloy to 150° F (57° C)
attaching pattern to sprue or above fusion temperature at
former moment of casting alloy
• Improper diameter/length of • Keep pattern and sprue
sprue restricts flow of alloy former in horizontal position
into mold; metal freezes when attaching, so that heat
before margins are complete rising from instrument does
not soften pattern
• Average casting should have
10-gauge sprue
approximately 6 mm long
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 Type of Failure Procedural Errors Solution

Rough surface on casting • Excess moisture on pattern • Remove all moisture from
• Water-powder ratio too high pattern, sprue former, and
in mixing investment ring
• Too much casting pressure, • Use correct water-powder
causing investment ratio
breakdown from force of • Do not wind machine too
alloy tightly
• Prolonged overheating of • Use correct heating cycle for
gypsum- bound investment burnout procedure; do not
heat above 1290° F (700° C)

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