The purpose of mounting is to protect fragile or coated materials during preparation and to obtain perfect edge retention. Mounting is used when the protection of layers is imperative, and also it enables a safer and more convenient handling of small, sharp, or irregularly shaped specimens, for example.
Specimens are embedded in resin to facilitate their handling and to improve the preparation result. For the best possible result, specimens should be cleaned prior to mounting. The best possible adhesion of resin to the specimen requires the surface to be free from grease and other contaminants.
Specimens that need perfect edge retention or protection of layers require mounting. However, it is worth considering whether the size or geometry of the specimen would make mounting unnecessary or even difficult. If this is the case, it might be better not to mount it.
Another consideration is whether or not the specimen can tolerate heat. If not, it is advised to refrain from using a mounting method that is likely to heat the specimen. Finally, consider that time can be saved by not mounting the specimen.
Unless the specimens to be prepared belong to these categories, there is no reason to mount them, as this takes time and money.
Is ideal for large numbers of specimens coming to the lab successively. The resulting mounts will be of high quality, uniform size and shape, and require a short process time. Hot mounting requires a mounting press that combines pressure with a high temperature.
Is suitable for a large series of specimens coming to the lab simultaneously, and for single specimens. Cold mounting by vacuum impregnation is used to reinforce and protect materials such as ceramics, plasma sprayed coatings, and specimens for failure analysis that require special care during preparation.
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