Materials in Dental Amalgam Fillings
Materials in Dental Amalgam Fillings. Because dental amalgam is a mixture of metals, consisting of liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper. Approximately 50% of dental amalgam is elemental mercury by weight. Therefore, the chemical properties of elemental mercury allow it to react with and bind together the: silver; copper; alloy particles to form an amalgam.