Crystal phase formation in colored leucite-reinforced glass-ceramics for dental restorations

Abstract

The influence of additives of rare earth elements on the crystallization and properties of glassceramic materials such as coatings for metal crowns in prosthetic dentistry was studied. A material for coatings was synthesized from a mixture based on potassium feldspar with the addition of oxides of alkali metals in the form of carbonates and fluorides as well as salts and oxides of rare earth elements. The additives of rare earth elements were introduced to give the coatings natural color. It was shown that the additives influence both the color and the phase composition of a coating by impeding crystallization. Upon the increase in the content of additives by more than 0.5 wt %, the thermal expansion coefficient of glass-ceramic materials increases.