A New Epoxy Embedment for Electron Microscopy

A new epoxy embedding mixture has been developed utilizing Maraglas 655 and Cardolite NC-513 with benzyldimethylamine (BDMA) as a curing agent. This epoxy mixture permits cellular preservation comparable to that obtained with Epon 812, ease of preparation of tissues, a wide range of miscibility, low viscosity, and, most important, ease of sectioning on a Porter-Blum microtome. In contrast to Epon-812-embedded tissues, Maraglas-Cardolite-embedded tissues can be sectioned in large dimensions with ease and consistent results without "chatter." No background granularity is detectable with high magnification study of Maraglas-Cardolite-embedded tissues. This epoxy is readily stained with lead hydroxide and is relatively stable in the electron beam.