Suppliers information
We have gathered information from respective supplier web sites, data sheets and catalogues.
Detailed information on the physical and chemical properties of the resins was not available from any of the suppliers. We have provided a limited compilation below, which is a summary obtained from multiple sources.
Notes on viscosity:
The unit most used is the centipoise (cP), which is 0.01 poise (P). The everyday fluids listed below have viscosities between 0.3 and 250,000 cP.
- Acetone, 0.3
- Water, 1.0
- Olive oil, 84
- Motor oil, 125
- Glycerine, 1490
- Maple syrup, 3200
- Treacle, 20,000
- Peanut butter, 250,000
Notes on hardness:
There are many scales used in the measurement of hardness e.g. Vickers, Brinell, Rockwell, Shore, Knoop etc. The unit most frequently used for resins is the Shore D scale. Some values from every day objects (apart from Indium!) are listed below.
- Perspex, 87.8 +/- 0.12
- PVC, 81.1 +/- 0.47
- Indium, 29.5 +/- 0.42
- Yellow BIC biro case, 81.5 +/- 0.25
Suppliers information
| Epoxy Resin | Viscosity | Hardness (Shore D) | Cure Time | Shrinkage | Manufacturers Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EpoThin | Low - 200-350cps at 25'C | 78 | 9 Hours | Not Supplied | Good penetration of voids during vacuum impregnation; Good for heat sensitive specimens |
| EpoHeat | Low - 32 cps at 80'C | 85 | 90 Minutes | Not Supplied | Fast, heat cure epoxy system with low shrinkage. Excellent for vacuum impregnation |
| EpoxiCure | 400-600 cps | 82 | 6 Hours | Low | General purpose epoxy, good adherence to specimen, good for heat sensitive specimens |
| TransOptic | N/A | Average | Some, small | Fine grained thermoplastic, applications - transparent embedding, targeted preparation, embedding sensitive samples | |
| ProbeMet | N/A | Not Supplied | None | Epoxy mounting compound, with copper thermosetting filler, conductive. Applications - SEM-applications and Electrolytic polishing | |
| KonductoMet | N/A | Not Supplied | Some, small | Phenolic mounting compound with graphite thermosetting filler, conductive, Application - SEM-applications and Electrolytic polishing | |
| SpeciFix-20 | Not Supplied | 84 | 8 Hours | None | Especially suited for vacuum impregnation |
| EpoFix | Very low | 78 | 12 Hours | None | Especially suited for vacuum impregnation |
| Ciba Geigy MY778 & HY951 | Low - 4-8 Poises at 21oC | Not Supplied | 24 Hours | None | Good mechanical strength,resistant to chemical attack, excellent electrical properties |
| Robnor Resins PX771c | Low - 600 mPas | 85 | 48 Hours | None | Excellent insulation characteristics, RoHS and WEEE compliant |
| Korapox 439 | 1500 mPas | Not Supplied | 24 Hours | None | Good resistance to humidity and weathering |
| Domestic Rapid Set Araldite | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | Not Supplied |
| Domestic Araldite | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | Not Supplied |
| Varian Torr Seal | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | 2 Hours at 220'C | Not Supplied | Low Vapour-Pressure Epoxy Resin Sealant. Solvent-free and can be used at pressures of 10-9 torr or below and at temperatures of -45 °C to +120 °C. Bonds with many materials, including metals, ceramics, and glass. |
| Petropoxy | Low | Not Supplied | 10 Minutes at 135 - 140'C | Not Supplied | Especially developed for use in the preparation of petrographic thin sections, only needs mixing once every 5 days |
Links to suppliers websites