CASTABLE EPOXY RESINS

Castable two part epoxy resins are an economical way to mount high volume of specimens that are pressure sensitive.  Epoxy resins are available in a number of varieties for metallographic specimen preparations, including fast curing or low viscosity resins.  Low viscosity resins are useful for back filling voids and because of their low viscosity have a tendency to better wet & adhere to specimen surface. nFast curing resins allow for quicker mounting, however, many result in higher exotherms & greater resin shrinkage. 

Epoxy resin is tough and rigid polymers which have a good wetting & edge retention characteristics to most surfaces.  Epoxy resins are also very resistant to water, acids, bases and most organic solvents.

SHRINKAGE PROBLEMS

To eliminate resins shrinkage and to improve the resin wetting, either a low viscosity resin can be used or the specimen can be preheated to 85-100F prior to mounting.  The result is that the sample will drive the epoxy reaction near sample/resin surface and thus cause the resin to start curing at the surface at the interface and shrink towards the specimen.

Metlab cold curing mounting resins & accessories are preferred when speed and ease are desired, in particular when high volume production is required.  They are recommended for samples that are damaged by heat and pressure treatment
 

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