Elastomer and resin replicas for sem observation of metallic materials

Abstract

The replica technique is often used to study damage evolution at the surface of specimens or industrial components and understand the physicial phenomena responsible for fatigue crack initiation before failure. Replicas are usually made from acetate cellulose film. This paper presents an alternative technique generally used by archaeologists to study lithic use-wear and bone modification. A mold is made from a dental elastomer (silicon based impression material) and a positive replica is made by casting epoxy resin in the mold. Comparative SEM analysis of damaged metallic specimens and their resin replicas show that this technique provides a good resolution and preserves details up to 0.5 micrometer. This easy and low cost method allows a systematic study of micro-crack growth.