TAFILA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MATERIAL SCIENCE LAB

Report Sheet
"Experiment No

: "4

.Experiment Name: Mounting

.Lab Time

: Monday 2-5 PM

.Instructor name: Eng. Mohanad Al Tamimi

.Name: Ameen Bassam Alrfou

:Objectives .1
To demonstrate the main type of mounting and the .1.1
procedure for each type
.To detail the hot mounting and the cold mounting .1.2

:Introduction .2
The primary purpose of mounting specimens is for
convenience in handling specimens of difficult shapes or sizes
during the subsequent steps of preparation and examination.
A secondary purpose is to protect and preserve extreme edges
or surfaces defects during preparation. Specimens also may
require mounting to accommodate various types of automatic
devices used in laboratories or to facilitate placement on the
.microscope stage

Small specimens generally require mounting so that the

specimen is supported in a stable medium for grinding and
polishing. The medium chosen can be either a cold curing
.resin or a hot mounting compound

:Theory .3
:Type of mounting 3.1

Hot Mounting .3.1

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 200C, 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.
Fig.1 hot mounting machine

Thermo-setting Resins cure at elevated

temperatures under pressure. Thermo-setting resins cannot be re-melted
after mounting.

3.2. 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
Fig.2 cold mounting machine
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.

4. Comparison of hot and cold mounting materials:

Hot compression mounting
materials

Cold mounting materials

Powder, granulates, or preforms

are densified by pressure and
heat in a mounting press.

Liquid and/or powder are mixed

together with a hardener and
cast into suitable mold.

Starting material has a durable

shelf life.

Starting material should be

stored cool and has a limited
shelf life.

Time required per mount is ~15

min.

Curing time per sample ranges

from 10 min to 12 h; many
samples can be mounted
simultaneously.

5. Properties of some important mounting materials and Material Property:

5.1. Hot mounting materials:
Phenol resins (Bakelite): Low hardness, poor adhesion (may be improved
during cooling under pressure). Poor Chemical resistance to aggressive
chemicals and hot etchants. Easy to use, low cost.
Epoxy resins: Only little shrinkage during curing, good edge retention.
Resistant to etchants.
Daily phthalate: Suitable for hard materials. No shrinkage during curing.
Resistant to aggressive Chemicals and hot etchants. Mounting conditions
must be strictly followed.
Acrylics: Care must be taken during grinding; material may crack due to
imposed stresses. Poor Adhesion. Not resistant to aggressive chemicals.
Transparent. Sample should be well cooled during curing. Suitable for
pressure-sensitive specimens; pressure is only to be applied during the
cooling cycle

.
5.2. Cold mounting materials
Epoxy resins: Good adhesion. High viscosity, fills cracks, gaps, and pores
easily and is therefore well suited for infiltration. Resistant to etchants and
solvents. Nearly transparent. Mold material should be made of silicon rubber,
polyethylene, or Bakelite. Curing time at least 8 hour. Work under a fume
hood because poisonous fumes are being generated. Skin irritant.
Polyester resins: Good abrasion resistance, therefore well suited for hard
materials. Shrinkage. Chemical resistance varies with the product.

Acrylics Shrinkage: Short curing times. Poor resistance to alcohol and

chlorohydrocarbon.
6. Results &conclusion:
1-we have learned that we need mounting for:
Holding the specimen on the clamp of testing machine.
To prevent the influence of external agent such as oxygen which will
cause forming of rust on the specimen.

2-we have learned the material used for Cold mounting materials such as
Epoxy resins, Polyester resins, and Acrylics Shrinkage.
3-we have learned the material used for hot mounting materials such as
Phenol resins (Bakelite), Epoxy resins, Daily phthalate, and Acrylics.

Notice:
I think its shame while when are not applying this experiment due to not
existence of (Bakelite) in our university, where a lot of money spend on
the insignificant things (we all know that). Also I thank our engineer for
asking about sheet since if another one he will pretend to have forgotten
about it.
7. References:
1.
http://www.asminternational.org/content/ASM/StoreFiles/ACF30C5.PDF.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallography.