Standard or XL: Is F20 the Same as F20 XL?
No, F20 and F20 XL share a name and a hardness family, not a formulation. The same applies to F50 and F50 XL, F85 and F85 XL, and any XL product named like a 50 ml product. You cannot swap them without checking the times and the maximum removal constraint again.
What Changes
The times change the most. F20 has a working time of 2:00 and can be removed after 6:00. F20 XL has a working time of 5:00 and can be removed after 20:00. All four XL products share this 5:00 working time. They can be removed after 20:00 for F20 XL, 30:00 for F30 XL, 35:00 for F50 XL, and 40:00 for F85 XL.
The maximum removal constraint can change too, going from 10% for F50 to 5% for F50 XL. F30 XL accepts 15%, where F30 Max accepts 40% and F30 Visual accepts 20%. For the XL products, this value is an indication, valid for impressions of a standard volume (5 to 20 ml).
The resolution stays at 1 µm and there is still no shrinkage.
| F20 | F20 XL | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 18 ± 2 Shore A | 20 Shore A |
| Max removal constraint | 30% | 30% |
| Working time | 2:00 | 5:00 |
| Removable after | 6:00 | 20:00 |
| Complete polymerization | 8:00 | 25:00 |
| Packaging | 50 ml cartridge | 400 ml cartridge, bottles or cans |
When to Choose XL
XL products suit large dimensions, meaning diameters above 50 mm or impressions that need more than 50 ml of product. They are also practical for repetitive production, where reloading 50 ml cartridges costs time. They give you a longer working time when you need more margin to position the product before it polymerizes.
When to Stay with the Standard Product
Stay with the standard product for small internal shapes, which a 50 ml cartridge fills in one go. Use it as well when you need the impression within minutes, since most standard products can be removed after 6:00.
