Investment strength as a function of time and temperature

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate and compare the compressive strength characteristics of selected investments and to determine if these change as a function of time and temperature after mixing. Methods: Two phosphate-bonded investments and one gypsum-bonded investment were selected and 288 cylindrical specimens were fabricated (n=9). Baseline compressive strength values were determined for each material at room temperature and compressive strength measurements were made for all materials at 700°C, and at 872°C only for phosphate-bonded investments. Each material was tested at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after mixing. Specimens were heated at 15°C/min and heat soaked for 5 min in a burnout oven at the applicable testing temperature. They were transferred to a preheated chamber on an Instron testing machine and subjected to a compressive load at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min until failure. The resulting strength data are presented in MN/m2. Results: The gypsum-bonded investment did not exhibit marked differences in strength as a function of either time or temperature. The phosphate-bonded investments, on the other hand, demonstrated considerable changes in compressive strength and differed in compressive strength characteristics at 700°C and 872°C respectively. Conclusions: At elevated temperatures, all materials approximated peak strength 2 h after initial mixing. At room temperature, the phosphate-bonded investments in this study were not significantly stronger than the gypsum-bonded investment material. However, they exhibited increased compressive strength as a function of time and temperature that was considerably higher than that exhibited by the gypsum-bonded investments.