General Knowledge - General Science - Discussion

In dentistry, amalgam is an alloy of mercury with various metals used for dental fillings. It commonly consists of mercury (50%), silver (~22-32% ), tin (~14%), copper (~8%), and other trace metals.Dental amalgams were first documented in a Tang Dynasty medical text written by Su Kung in 659, and appeared in Germany in 1528. In the 1800 s, amalgam became the dental restorative material of choice due to its low cost, ease of application, strength, and durability.

Recently however, its popularity has diminished somewhat. Concern for aesthetics, environmental pollution, health, and the availability of improved, reliable, composite materials have all contributed. In particular, concerns about the toxicity of mercury have made its use increasingly controversial. Due to a plan to phase out the use of mercury, Sweden, Norway and Denmark deliberated in 2008 on a ban of mercury dental amalgam, substituting it with composite fillings. Dentists in Denmark are no longer allowed to use mercury in fillings since April 1, 2008. The Swedish amalgam ban is for both environmental and health issues, according to the Swedish authorities.

When a photon is moving it has mass. It obviously travels at the speed of light. All matter increases in mass the faster it goes. A photon cannot escape a black hole. When a photon hits something it stops. The photon has released its mass. The mass is absorbed into the universe. This mass is like a cloud of dark matter or the higgs field. What do you think? Stop smoking weed?

An amalgam is an alloy of mercury with another metal, which may be a liquid, a soft paste or a solid, depending upon the proportion of mercury. These alloys are formed through metallic bonding, with the electrostatic attractive force of the conduction electrons working to bind all the positively charged metal ions together into.

In Fe, Co, or Ni, the metallic bonds are very strong. Hence, they don't allow mercury to diffuse into it and as such, no amalgam is possible with these metals. In contrast, Ag, Au, or Na (i.e. soft metals) can readily adsorb mercury. Hence amalgam formation is possible with these metals.

An alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams.

Dental amalgam is a liquid mercury and metal alloy mixture used to fill cavities caused by tooth decay. Low-copper amalgam commonly consists of mercury (50%), silver (~22"32%), tin (~14%), copper (~8%) and other trace metals.

@Gaman Batra told, mercury has small molecule which is mixed with Zn. Then what about Iron and Platinum? Why it can't form amalgam with Hg? Any one give an brief explanation for my question?

An amalgam is a substance formed by the reaction of mercury with another metal. Almost all metals can form amalgams with mercury, notable exceptions being iron and platinum.

The gold cannot be formed. Amalgam with mercury. The Nobel metals like gold and platinum only dissolve in a solution of aqua regia (the mixture of HCL and nitric acid).

Amalgam is an alloy of mercury with any other metal except iron and platinum. But I still need to know why iron and platinum amalgam doesn't exist?