Fracture of Dental Amalgam: Scanning Electron Microscope Study.

Stereographic scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surfaces of amalgam beams that were broken by bending, and of the surfaces of polished and etched specimens of both fine cut and spherical particle alloys, did not reveal discrete grain boundary segregations. However, evidence of microplastic deformation and intragranular inhomogeneities was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]