Cold and Hot Mounting Media, Molds, and Pressure Chamber
EMS introduces a selective range of embedding and mounting medium on the market for both HOT MOUNTING and COLD MOUNTING - for literally all kinds of material specimens.
For a complete line of all of our Embedding Media Kits.
1. Hot Mounting
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 200ºC, 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.
Hot Compression Mounting Resins Selection Guide
| Resin | Recommended Use |
Specific Properties | Comments | Resin Color |
Gray Resin  |
Electropolishing Electrically conductive mounts |
Electrically conductive Very low shrinkage |
Acrylic resin with iron filler Thermoplastic powder |
Gray |
Clear Resin |
Glass clear mounts Porous samples Surface electrical insulator for Gray Resin |
Translucent Medium shrinkage |
Transparent acrylic resin Thermoplastic |
Clear |
Green Resin  |
High edge retention needed Planeness Very hard mount |
Low shrinkage Low removal rate Granular |
Diallyl phthalate with glass fiber
filler Thermosetting |
Green |
Ordering Hot Mount Resins:
| Cat # | Descriptions | Pkg. Size | ||
| 1210 | Gray Resin - Thermoplastic | 1 kg | 142.00 | Add to Cart |
| 1212 | Clear Resin - Thermoplastic | 1 kg | 92.00 | Add to Cart |
| 1214 | Green Resin - Thermosetting | 1 kg | 130.00 | Add to Cart |
2. Cold Mounting
Cold mounting or embedding is when a resin is mixed with a hardener (or accelerator) to provide the mounting compound, and then the polymerization process take place to form the block. In some cases, this process gives-off heat. However this heat generation can be controlled by the use of ice or cool air blow setting. Cold mounting compounds are preferred for specimens that are sensitive to the heat or pressure, which applies during the hot mounting process. There are three types of cold mounting:
1. Epoxy Systems - Epoxies have the lowest shrinkage of all cold mounting resins. The curing time is relatively long, but the adhesion to most materials is excellent. They are also used for vacuum impregnation. The hardened epoxy is duroplastic and not affected by moderate heat or chemicals.
2. Acrylic System - Acrylics are easy to use resins with short curing times and negligible shrinkage. They consist of self-polymerizing components that harden with the addition of catalyst. Hardened acrylic is thermoplastic and resistant to most chemicals.
3. Polyester Systems - Polyester belongs to the catalyzed system, like acrylics. Curing times are relatively short and the hardened specimen is duroplastic.
Cold Mounting and Embedding Resins Selection Guide
| Resin | Recommended Use | Specific Properties | Curing Time | Recommended Mounting Cup |
EpoFix
|
Vacuum impregnation Porous & complicated specimens Mineralogical specimens |
Transparent Epoxy Negligible curing heat Low viscosity Practically no shrinkage Excellent wetting and adhesion Peak temperature 43ºC |
8 hours at room temperature |
Disposable Mold Cups (50480-10) |
UniMount |
Vacuum impregnation Porous specimens Mineralogical specimens Need more time to manipulating specimen |
Transparent Epoxy Low viscosity Excellent penetration to cracks & pores No shrinkage Peak temperature 130ºC |
3.5 hours at 40-60ºC | Disposable Mold Cups (50480-10) |
AcryMount |
Routine work Single or small series of specimens |
Translucent Acrylic | 9 – 10 minutes at room temperature |
Disposable Mold Cups (50480-10) Silicone Molds |
PolyMount |
Large series of uncomplicated specimens Used for specimens are not sensitive to heat. |
Transparent Polyester Low viscosity Due to shrinkage, it’s recommended for specimens without holes or cavities. |
45 minutes at room temperature |
Disposable Mold Cups (50480-10) Silicone Molds |
PolyAcryMount |
Edge retension Planeness Complicated specimens |
Polyester/Acrylic Mineral filler White Peak temperature 114°C Excellent hardness Practically no shrinkage |
25 – 18 minutes | Disposable Mold Cups (50480-10) Silicone Molds |
| Epoxy-Dye | For use with EpoFix and Unimount | Fluorescent dye for use in microscopy to make cracks and pores visible. Special filters for microscopy |
N/A | N/A |
| Acrylic-Dye | For use with Acrylmount | For color-coding specimens Color include blue, red & yellow |
N/A | N/A |
- Catalog# 1232 EpoFix Cold-Setting Embedding Resin
- Catalog# 1234 Unimount Kit
- Catalog# 1256 AcryMount Embedding Resin
- Catalog #1265 Acrylic Dye Set
- Catalog #1270 Poly-Mount
- Catalog #1276 Poly-Acrymount Embedding Kit
Ordering Cold Mount Resins:
(a) Epoxy Systems
| 1232 | EpoFix - Kit with 1L liquid resin; 130 ml hardening liquid | Kit | 118.00 | Add to Cart |
| 1234 | UniMount - Kit with 500 ml liquid resin; 200 ml hardening liquid | Kit | 337.00 | Add to Cart |
| 1245 | Epoxy-Dye | 20g | 80.00 | Add to Cart |
(b) Acrylic Systems
| 1256 | AcrylMount - Kit with 500g resin powder; 225 ml hardening liquid | Kit | 220.00 | Add to Cart |
| 1265 | Acrylic-Dye, 180 ml (60 ml each yellow, red, blue) | 60 ml x 3 | 116.00 | Add to Cart |
(c) Polyester Systems
| 1270 | PolyMount - Kit with 500 ml liquid resin; 15 ml hardening liquid | Kit | 70.00 | Add to Cart |
(d) Polyester/Acrylic Systems
| 1276 | PolyAcryMount - Kit with 750 g resin powder; 500
ml hardening liquid #1, 225 ml hardening liquid #2 |
Kit | 395.00 | Add to Cart |
Mounting
Cups for Cold Mounting/Embedding
Disposable Mold Cup -
Polyethylene, one part molds. Closed one end. Red
| 50480-10 | 1 1/8" | 50/pk | 32.00 | Add to Cart |
| 50480-15 | 1¼" | 50/pk | 32.00 | Add to Cart |
| 50480-20 | 1½" | 50/pk | 32.00 | Add to Cart |
Silicone Mold-
Flexible Silicone Rubber, Closed bottom; red
| 51012-25 | 25mm | 5/pk | 122.00 | Add to Cart |
| 51012-30 | 30mm | 5/pk | 122.00 | Add to Cart |
| 51012-40 | 40mm | 5/pk | 122.00 | Add to Cart |
Phenolic Ring Mold-
impregnated phenolic, 3/4" high
| 50483-15 | 1/4" | 10/pk | 12.75 | Add to Cart |
| 50483-20 | 1 1/2" | 10/pk | 14.75 | Add to Cart |
Hot & Cold Mounting/Embedding 
Accessories
| 50486-00 | 6mm height metal spring clip to hold or position a small specimen upright. | 100/pk | 28.50 | Add to Cart |
| 50487-25 | PlastiClips - Plastic clip used to support up to 5 small, thin specimens. (May not be suitable with Acrylic Resins), | 25/pk | 64.00 | Add to Cart |
| 50488-10 | Mold Release - Mold release agent to be used with mounting press. | 16 oz can | 52.00 | Add to Cart |
| 72619 | Mold Release - Mold release agent to be used with cold mounting mold. | 15 oz can | 23.00 | Add to Cart |
| 50494-25 | Thermo Conductive Paste - For better heat transfer between heating/cooling unit and cylinder in hot mounting press. | 25g | 58.00 | Add to Cart |
Pressure
Chamber
This chamber is designed in conjunction with our cold molded acrylic and epoxy media. After encapsulating the sample, they are placed inside the chamber. By applying between 30 to 40 PSI during the cure time, the mounting compound is compressed down and around the sample, forcing air up to the surface. This process helps eliminate shrinkage and increase clarity and edge retention. Comes with an air hose. As an option an air pump tank is available. This Air Pump is designed for hand pumping pressure.
| 50465-10 | Pressure Chamber | each | 425.00 | Add to Cart |
| 50465-20 | Air Pump | each | 193.00 | Add to Cart |
