What is an Amalgamation?

Amalgam is any alloy of Mercury. Copper amalgam is very common as filling material in modern dentistry and is considered safe by most dentists even though mercury is well known as a neurotoxin.

amalgam

Amalgams are alloys of mercury plus other metal(s). Copper amalgams were used many years ago but not any more. They were extremely toxic because dentists had to heat the elements, to get the hardening reaction, but mercury releases very toxic vapors. Modern alloys (until 1980 but still in the market) contain Silver, Tin, Copper and sometimes Zinc, Palladium or Indium. But these do not need to be heated to form the plastic mass, they form alloys by pressure using a mortar, or with automatic mixers (amalgamators). After 1980 many alloys are known as high copper amalgams because they contain more than 12 % copper but they are not considered Copper amalgams, but silver amalgams with high copper content. Some brands contain 30 % Copper and even more, but always more silver than copper.
Amalgam (not amalgum) ia an alloy between mercury and another metal.