Structural Characterisation and Mechanical FE Analysis of Conventional and M-Wire Ni-Ti Alloys Used in Endodontic Rotary Instruments

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand how the M-Wire alloy conditions the mechanical flexibility of endodontic rotary files at body temperature.Two different rotary instruments, a Profile GT 20/.06 and a Profile GT Series X 20/.06, were selected due to their geometrical similarity and their different constituent alloy. GT series X files are made from M-Wire, a Ni-Ti alloy allegedly having higher flexibility at body temperature. Both files were analysed by X-Ray Diffraction and Differential Scanning Calorimetry to investigate phase transformations and the effects of working temperature on these different alloys. Mechanical behaviour was assessed by means of static bending and torsional Finite Element simulations, taking into account the nonlinear superelastic behaviour of Ni-Ti materials. It was found that GT files present austenitic phase at body temperature, whereas GT series X present R-phase at temperatures under 40°C with a potential for larger flexibility. For the same load conditions, simulations showed that the slight geometrical differences between the two files do not introduce great disagreement in the instruments’ mechanical response. It was confirmed that M-Wire increases the instrument’s flexibility, mainly due to the presence of R-phase at body temperature.