Abstract: A dental impression material which comprises a pre-polymer formed by reacting a polyol or combination polyester polyol with a diisocyanate, and then with a hydroxyacrylate or hydroxymethacrylate; along with a metal catalyst, plasticizer, photosensitizer, reducing agent, filler and other additives. The essential characteristics of the polymer portion that makes the system work are that it is a long-chain aliphatic polyester-polyurethane molecule, which when endcapped with hydroxy arcylate moieties, is photo-polymerizable to yield a tear-resistant, highly flexible, medium-durometer elastomer, suitable for use as a dental impression material.

Abstract: A two-piece, two chamber self-activating capsule having mercury in one chamber and metal powder in the other. In use, the capsule is shaken and the resulting force due to the inertia of the mercury forces its way through a normally-closed valve into the metal powder chamber, whereby the metal powder and mercury become triturated by the shaking and form dental amalgam for filling teeth. A pestle may be included to facilitate mingling and triturating the amalgam components.

Abstract: A process for producing high purity metal powders in which a metal or metal alloy of the desired composition is molten and introduced into a chamber in the form of a stream of a controlled cross sectional area which is fragmentized into a plurality of molten droplets by the impingement of a transversely excited laser having a preselected power to achieve the desired magnitude of fragmentation. The resultant droplets are cooled during their free-fall through the chamber and the solidified metal powder is subsequently recovered from the bottom of the chamber.