Ed.

by Harsini,

drg 2010
Dental Applications :
Gypsum products are used mainly for
making positive reproductions or
replicas of oral structures.
– Casts, dies, or models
– Other uses: impression, mounting,
part of investment
Artikulator mounting
Desirable properties
(1) Accuracy
(2) Dimensional stability
(3) Ability to reproduce fine detail
(4) Strength and resistance to abrasion
(5) Compatibility with the impression
material
(6) Color
(7) Biological safety
(8) Ease of use
 Manufacture
Chemical and Physical
properties
For dental purposes in form of

“Calcium sulfate dihydrate”

(CaSO4.2H2O)

Gypsum is a common name of calcium sulfate dihydrate.

 Dental gypsum products
Primary constituent = Calcium sulfate
hemihydrate,CaSO4.½H2O
From a process called “Calcination”
Calcination: heating process
performed by the manufacturer to
create the hemihydrate powder form
of the product
CaSO4·2H2O CaSO4·½H2O + H2O
100-130oC

“Calcination”

Dehydration
 This process is “reversible”.

CaSO4·½H2O + H2o CaSO4·2H2O +

Rehydration
 Types of Dental Gypsum

• Plaster
• Stone
• High-Strength or Improved Stone
• Other types of gypsum: impression
plaster, mounting plaster,..etc
 Plaster
•Manufactured by grinding the
gypsum rock to a fine powder

and then heating the powder in

an open container eliminate

water & shatter the crystal

• Porous, irregular powder particles

Sometimes is referred to as -

hemihydrate or Type II stone.

Weakest and least expensive

•Usually white in color. Used

mainly where strength is not a
 Stone
•Made from gypsum by carefully
controlled calcination under steam

pressure in a closed container.

•Powder particle is more regular,

more uniform in shape, and less porous

•Is often referred to as -

hemihydrate, Type III stone, or

Hydrocal.

•Various colors. Used mainly for

making casts for diagnostic

purposes and casts used for

complete and partial denture

High-Strength or Improved Stone
Made from gypsum by calcining the gypsum

in a calcium chloride solution.

Very dense powder particle in cuboidal

shape with a reduce surface area

Strongest and most expensive

Often referred to as Type IV stone,

die stone, densite, and modified hemihydrate

Used mainly for making casts or dies

for inlay and crown fabrication

A newly developed high-strength stone

with a higher compressive strength

 Removable
Die with
Waxed Inlay
Working
Cast with
Removable
Dies
 Forms of hemihydrate
-hemihydrate -hemihydrate

(plaster of Paris) (dental stone)

– Sponginess, – Well-formed crystals,
porous, regular, more dense
irregular
Setting Reaction
Something to remember!

All gypsum products set by the same reaction.

CaSO
4 ½H2O + 1½ H2O CaSO
4 2H2O + Heat

After calcination process, some calcium sulfate

dihydrate remain in the powder.

Both hemi- and dihydrate are water soluble but

the hemihydrate is four times more soluble.

Hemihydrate + water suspension

(fluid and workable)

Dihydrate

(supersaturated)

Dihydrate precipitate out in

form of needle-like crystals.

(some calcium sulfate dihydrate

remaining in the powder are

nuclei for precipitation.)

So ln no longer sat. with hemihydrate

• dissolution & precipitation or

Formation of needle like crystals Mass

thickens
Water/Powder ratio
Theoretically, if 100 g of any hemihydrate were

combined with 19 ml of water, all the hemihydrate would

be converted to the dihydrate.

(19 ml = sufficient water for 100 g hemihydrate to react)

However in practice, this amount of water will

not produce a mass that can be manipulated

and poured into an impression. (too dry and

crumbly mix) Therefore, in practice, excess

water must be added when one is mixing to

produce a workable mass.

Various gypsum products require different amount of

water to mix.

-α hemihydrate requires less water than β hemihydrate – β

hemihydrate => Very porous, irregular, do not pack together very well
Depends on the physical characteristics of the powder

particles

– Plaster (Type II) 45-50 ml/100g (0.45-0.50)

– Stone (Type III) 28-30 ml/100g (0.28-0.30)

– Improved stone (Type IV) 19-24 ml/100g (0.19-0.24)

different consistencies of a workable mix

The excess water does not

react but is simply trapped in

the mass when it sets.

porosities or voids in the mass

Set plaster has the lowest

density (most porous) because

it had the most excess water

and the most voids in the mass.

Set high-strength stone has the

highest density.
The water/powder ratio has a direct effect on the

properties of each gypsum product and must be

controlled for optimum results.

Higher W:P ratio (Thinner mix)

Longer setting time

Weaker product (more free water more porosities when set)

Lower hardness

Reduce expansion (in the same type of gypsum)

Lower W:P ratio (Thicker mix)

Broader crystals stronger and more solid mass

Shorter setting time

 Setting Time

Types of setting time

Factors to control setting time

 GYPSUM
Setting Stages
Mixing
Time Working
00:00:00 1:00 Time Setting
07 Time
11:00

TIME

Mixing Working Setting

Interval Interval Interval

Initial Set = Final Set =

Working Time Setting Time

Large
Gilmore
Needle
LOSS OF GLOSS
Small
Gilmore
Needle
Working or Initial Setting Final Setting Time

Time – Represents the time until the

– Represents the available setting mass becomes rigid and

time for manipulating can be separated from the mold

– Indicates partial progress – Indicates the major completion

of the setting reaction of the hydration reaction

– “Loss of gloss” – Failure of penetration of a

– Vicat needle does not fingernail or knife.

completely penetrates. Dissipation of the heat of reaction

Start mixing
– 8 to 16 minutes Material starts to set. – 30 to 45 minutes
Material sets.

Mixing time

Working time /Initial setting time (8-16 min)

Final setting time

 Control of the Setting Time

Controlled by the manufacturer’s particular

formulation

3 methods

– Control solubility of the hemihydrate

– Control number of nuclei for crystallization

– Control rate of crystal growth

 Accelerators

Increase the solubility of the hemihydrate

without increasing the solubility of the dihydrate

inorganic salts

– Sodium Chloride up to 2% conc., Potassium sulfate >2%

conc., Sodium sulfate up to 3.4% conc.

Powdered gypsum (CaSO4.H2O) or slurry of

ground gypsum casts

– Increase nuclei of crystallization

Increase spatulation (time and speed)

 GYPSUM
Setting Mechanism

Dissolution of hemihydrate

Precipitation of dihydrate

Crystal expansion and interlocking

 Control of Setting Expansion

Expansion can be advantage or disadvantage. In

general, minimal setting expansion is desirable.

accurate dimensional reproduction

Less W:P ratio and/or Longer mixing time (within

practical limit) expansion (in the same type of stone) Higher W:P

ratio

fewer nuclei/unit volume

space between nuclei less growth interaction of the dihydrate

crystals and less outward thrust

 What will happen if
t
the setting process

occurs under water?

Expansion because additional

crystal growth is permitted

Hygroscopic Setting Expansion

 Hygroscopic Setting Expansion
Stage I: initial mix

Stage II: crystals of dihydrate are

formed

– Water around the particles is

reduced by the hydration and the

particles are drawn more closely

together by the surface tension

action of the water

hydrated water is replaced

Stage III: crystals grow

Water is decreased, particles

are drawn together

water is replaced, crystals grow freely

Stage IV and V
Reproduction of Detail
Reproduction of detail of an impression

depends on the compatibility and

interactions between the model material

and the impression material.

The ability of the material to flow into and

register finer detail and finer lines is used

to rate its detail of reproduction.

Factors: Compatibility + Wettability

 Tensile Strength

Important when separating dies from an

impression.

From diametral tensile tests, in general:

– 1 hr strength is 1/2 the dry strength.

– Plaster’s tensile strength is 1/2 that of die

stone.

– Tensile strengths are usually 1/5 the

The preferred method of
Mixing
mixing is to add the measured

water first, followed by gradual

addition of the powder.

The use of an automatic

vibrator, of high frequency and

low amplitude, is helpful.

The guesswork of repeatedly

adding water and powder to

achieve the proper consistency

must be avoided
 Pouring the Model
The mixed gypsum is placed into

the impression in increments,

with use of vibration to enhance

the flow of the material into the

impression.

Allow the material to flow across

• Alternatively, the teeth and soft tissues may be
the impression, with avoidance
poured in stone or die stone and allowed to set, and
of entrapment of air.
the base can be made from plaster later.

• The impression should not be removed from the

gypsum for 45 to 60 minutes to allow the final set to

 MANIPULATION
of Gypsum Products
Proportion P and L

Microstone

Bulk P Pre-packaged P

Transfer to impression
 Summary

• Desirable Properties

• Types of gypsum: Plaster, Stone, Improved stone

• Setting Reaction

• W:P Ratio

• Setting Time

• Setting Expansion, Hygroscopic Expansion

• Reproduction of Detail

• Strength and Hardness

Factors to control setting time, expansion strength