Property variations of stone casts following high-temperature sterilization.

The effects of high-temperature sterilization methods (boiling, dry-heating, autoclaving and chemiclaving) on the properties of four types of stone cast were determined. SEM observations were made of the cast surface before and after sterilization. High-temperature sterilization affected the properties of the stone casts. Boiling, dry-heating and autoclaving were considered to be unacceptable methods for sterilizing stone casts before making prosthetic restorations.