Model materials

Model materials, used in orthopedic

dentistry, possess several specific
properties, allowing to make
constructions of different sizes and
configurations.
 Properties of model materials
– No harm to the oral cavity tissues and whole
organism;
– Good plasticity in specified temperature range;
– Hardness and elasticity after the modeling is over;
– No softening at room temperature and in oral cavity;
– No deformation;
– Pleasant smell and color;
– Ability to form layers on the model’s surface;
– Glue-like properties;
– When used on gypsum models – differ in color form
the rest of the model;
– Ash-less; no ash left in stone after vaporizing;
– Low shrinkage at low temperatures (not more than
0.1% total volume for every degree C)
– No traces left after removal from the model.
 Properties, listed on previous
slide, are met by wax and wax
compositions. Composition and
properties of dental waxes are
defined by its components:
composition may vary.
 Waxes are organic substances, which are
similar to bee wax by their physical
properties (melting temperature, hardness,
plasticity)
Waxes– esters of higher fatty acids and
higher monoatomic aliphatic and cyclic
alcohols.
Alcohols - derivatives of hydrocarbons,
in which molecules have one or multiple
hydroxyl groups OH
All alcohols are divided into monatomic
and polyatomic.
Monatomic alcohols - alcohols that
have one hydroxyl group.
Polyatomic alcohols - alcohols that
have multiple hydroxyl groups OH.
 Monoatomic alcohols
• Ethanol
• 3-hexeneol
• Cyclohexan-1,4-diol
 Waxes

PLANT ANIMAL MINERAL SYNTHETIC

 Animal waxes are produced by animals or
insects. The most common animal waxes are:
•Bee was
•Stearin – animal fat hydrolysis product
•Lanolin – fatty substance, produced from
shaved off wool of sheeps, consists of esters of
high molecular weight alcohols and acids, and
free high molecular weight alcohols. Thick,
sticky, brown-yellowish mass with weak specific
odor.
Waxes contain specific fatty acids and alcohols

Acids Alcohols
palmitic С16Н32О2 cetyl С16Н33ОН
stearic С18Н36О2 octadecyl С18Н37ОН
carnauba С24Н48О2 eucosyl С20Н41ОН
Neocerotinic С25Н50О2 carnauba С24Н49ОН
Cerotinic С27Н54О2 neoceryl С25Н51ОН
montanic С29Н58О2 ceryl С26Н53ОН
Mellisic С31Н62О2 myricyl С30Н61ОН
mellisic С31Н63ОН
 Unsaturated fatty acids in waxes: oleic and fisetic
acid.
Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds between carbon atoms. (Pairs of
carbon atoms connected by double bonds can be saturated by adding hydrogen atoms to
them, converting the double bonds to single bonds. Therefore, the double bonds are called
unsaturated.)

Cyclic alcohols in waxes: sterols (steroid alcohols).

Sterane  Sterol
 Animal waxes are divided into:
•Depositions (bee wax)
•Excretions (suint - a natural greasy
substance in sheep’s wool)
•Products, which form along with
triglycerides (spermaceti – substance, found
in head cavities of a sperm whale).
 Bee wax – Cera – product of
metabolism of bees, which is excreted
as a small clear leaflets. Hard mass,
softening in hands, yellowish-brown
or white in color with faint honey odor.
Softens at 37-38ºС размягчается,
,melting at 60ºС, boiling at 236ºС.
Brittle at low temperatures.
 Bee wax contains mostly esters of melissic alcohol
and palmitic acid.

Yellow wax contains carotenoids, which are absent

in white wax (destroyed during whitening)

Bee wax is not used ‘as is’, because of low

softening temperature and lack of hardness at room
temperature, but it is used in wax compositions due
to big difference between softening and melting
temperatures.
Bee wax provides compositions with plasticity,
lowers softening and melting temperatures.
 Stearin – product of animal fat hydrolysis.
Solid substance, fatty to the touch.
Chemical composition– stearic, palmitic, oleic
acids. Softening temperature– 50-55ºС, melting–
68-71ºС, boiling- 350ºС.
Lowers plasticity and increases melting
temperature.
 Spermacet, waxy mass from sperm whale
– is not used, melting temperature – 45-
54ºС.
 Plant waxes are usually form
as depositions on the outer
plant tissues (leaves, stems,
fruits).
 Carnauba wax Is made out of leaves of brasilian
palm. The wax is scrubbed off with brushes, dried
and evaporated.
Brittle yellowish or dark gray mass.
Composition – primarily two esters
(mircylcarnaubate and mircylcerotate) (80%), free
melissic and montanic acids (1-1,5%), free
alcohols (16%), among them – carboceryl alcohol
and octacosanol, which are present only in
carnauba wax.
Increases strength of the composition, lowers
plasticity and increases melting temperature. Can
easily be scraped off.
 Japan (sumac) wax is produced from
fruits of Japanese wax tree, melting
temperature - 52ºС, increases viscosity.
 Mineral waxes

Paraffin Montana
wax

ozokerit ceresin
 Paraffin – fossil hydrocarbon, chain length С18-
С35 usually aliphatic.
Melting temperature - 42-65ºС, depends on
purity. Inert to most of chemical reagents, but can
be oxidized by concentrated HNO3 or О2 (140ºС)
to fatty acids.
Used as a base of modelling compositions.
 Ozokerit– mineral wax, that can be found in nature in
paraffin hydrocarbons deposits.
Melting temperature – 50-90ºС.
After treatment of solid layers with hot water or steam,
and consequent purification by sulfuric acid and
whitening clays the ceresin is obtained.
Increases melting temperature, hardness and
viscosity.
 Montana wax – fossil wax, which is often found
in brown coal deposits. Obtained by extraction
with organic solvents.
Composition – free montanic acid and its
esters.
Melting temperature - 72-77ºС.
Increases melting temperature and hardness.
Quality assessment:
1. Melting temperature
2. Density
3. Acid value
4. Saponification value
5. Iodine value