Hot Mounting

Description

When preparation requirements include less expensive, uniform size and shape, and short processing times, hot mounting (hot compression mounting) is ideal.
Hot mounting takes place under pressure in a mounting press, where the specimen is placed in a cylinder together with the appropriate mounting resin. A temperature of up to 200°C, and a pressure of up to 50kN are then applied during the embedding of the specimen. There are two types of hot mounting processes: thermoplastic resins and thermo-setting resins.
Thermoplastic Resins melt when heated, offering the opportunity of repeating the process with the same specimen if the result is not satisfactory the first time. Thermoplastic resins harden during a chemical reaction with or without pressure. That means high pressure is not necessary during heating and cooling. This process is good when mounting fragile specimens.
Thermo-setting Resins cure at elevated temperatures under pressure. Thermo-setting resins cannot be re-melted after mounting.

Choosing a Hot Mount*

Cat#	Resin	Color	Type	Material	Shrinkage 1-3 (Best=1)	Hardness 1-3 (Softest=1)	Application/ Specific Properties.
1210		Black/Gray	Thermoplastic	Acryl with iron filler	..	.	Electrolytic polishing.
1211		Gray	Thermoplastic	Acryl with aluminium filler	..	..	For soft materials.** Fast mounting also when used as backing.
1212		Clear	Thermoplastic	Acryl	..	..	Transparent mounts. Porous specimens.*** Surface electrical insulator for ConduFast.
1213		Black	Thermosetting	Epoxy with mineral filler	.	…	For hard materials. Excellent edge retention.
1214		Green	Thermosetting	Bakelite with wood filler	…	…	Routine examination of soft to medium hard materials. Suitable as backing.
1215		Light Yellow	Thermosetting	Melamine with mineral and glass filler	.	…	For soft to medium hard materials. Excellent edge retention.
1216		Black	Thermosetting	Bakelite with carbon filler	.	..	SEM examination.
1217		Black	Thermosetting	Bakelite with wood filler	…	…	Routine examination of soft to medium hard materials. Suitable as backing.
1218		Red	Thermosetting	Bakelite with xood filler	…	…	Routine examination of soft to medium hard materials. Suitable as backing.

*30 mm dia. mount with a 45% carbon steel specimen (20 vol%)
**Embedded abrasives can occur in the aluminium filler
***For some materials, using sensitive mode