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

 

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