LECOMAT Pressure Vessel with mounting supplies

Cold MountingCastable Mounts for Metallographic Sample Preparation

Cold mounting in metallography – sometimes called “castable mounting” – uses a liquid mounting media to encase a sample. Commonly used mounting media include epoxy, polyester, or acrylic. After encasing the sample, a catalyst is used to cure and harden the material. This method is best for laboratories with a small throughput but large quantities of samples and is necessary for porous, brittle, or heat-sensitive samples. Once mounted, samples can be more easily handled by other metallographic instruments and maintain the integrity of the sample’s edges.

We offer polyesters, acrylics, and epoxies for your lab’s cold mounting needs:

Polyesters are an economical choice for labs with low sample volume and less concern about specimen edge retention. They provide an excellent way to make a mount quickly and easily.

Acrylics will cure faster than most other mounting media. They have excellent abrasion characteristics and fair edge retention. Acrylic is typically used for making multiple mounts where hot-mounting is not practical. A pressure chamber, such as the LECOMAT Pressure Vessel, will provide a semi-clear mounting material.

Epoxies provide a hard, chemical, and abrasion-resistant mount. They generally take longer to set up than other castable materials, but have superior flow and shrinkage properties. Long cure epoxies are used to mount the most difficult samples and can be placed in a vacuum to remove entrapped air and fill voids. Epoxies are available in quick-cure formulations that will cure in less than an hour.

Models
  • Castolite
    • Polyester
  • LECOSET 7000
    • Polyester
  • LECOSET 7008 - Acrylic
    • Acrylic
  • Quick and Long Cure Epoxies
Options
  • Ring Molds
  • Silicone Rubber Molds
  • Mold Cups
  • Mounting Supplies
  • LECOMAT Pressure Vessel
Instrument Brochure(s) Featured Application(s)
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