Powder mounts are prepared by suspending cement powder in epoxy, curing the epoxy, cutting and polishing a surface of the powder / epoxy composite. The cement powder is mixed in about 5 g of epoxy, using enough cement to form a stiff ball. The cement / epoxy mixture is placed in a mold container and pressed to fill the base of the mold. The mixture is then consolidated in the sample mold by sharply tapping it on the laboratory bench top, and the epoxy is cured according to the manufacturer's guidelines. After curing, the specimen is removed from the mold, labeled and a fresh surface is exposed using a wafering saw or by grinding. Examples of this application may be found in references 1 and 2.