Bonding agents of low fusing cpTi porcelains: Elemental and morphological characterization

Low fusing porcelains demonstrate great variations in bond strength with cpTi, a result directly associated with the performance of their bonding agents. The aim of this study was to investigate the composition of bonding agents used for the production of Ti-ceramic restorations. The powder or paste components of nine commercially available products were imaged under LV-SEM and their elemental composition was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (X-ray EDS). According to the EDS results five bonding agents (Duceratin, Duceratin Plus, Ti-22, TitanKeramik, and Triceram) were mainly composed of Si Sn and Na oxides. TiKrom contained La and Ba, whereas Initial Ti was based on La, B, and Sr formulations. Backscattered electron images revealed that Titankeramik, Triceram paste, Initial Bonder and Aesthetic Universal Bonder consisted of a single-phase material, while Duceratin, Duceratin Plus, Ti-22, Tikrom, and Triceram powders consisted of two-phase materials. The large differences found in elemental compositions of the bonding agents and the development of completely new formulations imply that the relevant technology has not yet attained a standard and thus is a promising field for further research.