Cold Mounting - Metallography
Cold mounting provides protection and support of the sample surface, makes it easier to handle the sample, allows for several small samples in one mount and gives uniform sizes for clamping in a sample holder. Cold mounting resins cure through a chemical reaction. We have carefully selected resins from the two prevailing systems used in metallography to offer you state-of-the-art solutions.
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Epoxy Mounting Resins
Epoxy provides the best adhesion to the sample, resulting in optimal edge retention and the best possible mount quality. It can also be used for vacuum impregnation or infiltration of fragile and porous samples. Our Epoxy mounting system consists of one liquid resin and a range of liquid hardeners. Aka-Resin Liquid Epoxy, the universal resin, can be mixed with either Aka-Cure Quick or Aka-Cure Slow. When cold mounting for metallography, each hardener provides different advantages. With the Aka-Cure Slow hardener, the epoxy mixture cures overnight at low temperatures. The lower the temperature the lower the shrinkage, therefore this is the preferred solution for no shrinkage and best edge retention. When Aka-Cure Quick has been mixed with the epoxy resin, the samples have to be cured in an oven at 80°C. This gives a very short curing time of about 30 min, but the increased temperature results in a small amount of shrinkage.
Acrylic Mounting Resin
Our acrylic resin is a fast curing, transparent cold mounting system with a slightly yellowish tint. Aka-Clear-2 consists of a powder and a liquid that cures in about 8 minutes. Due to complete visibility without having to use a pressure pot, it is ideal for failure analysis and in the preparation of electronic components like printed circuit boards, where you need to monitor the sample during preparation.
Click on the left side menu to find the consumables for your sample preparation.
FAQ:
When should I use Epoxy and when Acrylic?
Epoxy resins have a very low shrinkage and therefore provide the best possible mounting result. Whenever the best quality is needed, epoxy is the correct choice. However, epoxy resins have a quite long curing time, so when speed is important then the acrylic resin is often preferred due to the very short curing time.
Are cold mounting resins dangerous?
All chemical products must be handled with care, and when handling and mixing cold mounting resins the required safety measures as stated in the user guides must be followed. Always wear gloves and eye protection to avoid direct contact with the individual components. After complete curing both epoxy and acrylic mounts are safe to handle.
