[Behavior of a dental rotary instrument alloy after titanium nitride coating].

Abstract

A titanium nitride coating has been deposited on steel and tungsten carbide dental rotary instruments. This process is carried out under partial vacuum, by reacting vapourized metal (titanium) and nitrogen in a plasma. The instruments temperature is around 500 degrees C during coating. We have determined by micro-analysis the treatment modifications upon the different bursa components. VICKERS microhardness tests have shown the coating temperature effects towards the heat treatments of employed steels.