Metallographic Flowchart

Metallographic analysis is an important research method in metallography. It is to observe and analyze the macro and micro structure of metal and alloy to understand its inherent structure and properties.

Metallographic analysis is the process of cutting, mounting, and grinding metal and alloy samples.

Cutting

Cutting is the first step in metallographic analysis. It is the process of cutting metal and alloy samples into a certain shape and size. There are many ways to cut, commonly used are:

•Waterjet cutting

•Up and down cutting

•Rotary cutting

•Longitudinal cutting

•Step cutting

Mounting

Mounting is the process of encasing the cut metal and alloy samples in a solidifying material to make a metallographic sample. The purpose of mounting is to prevent the sample from deforming and damaging during the grinding process. Commonly used mounting materials are:

•Thermosetting resins: such as acrylic powder, hot mounting resin, and bakelite powder.

•Cold-setting resins: such as epoxy resin.

Grinding/Polishing

Grinding is the process of polishing the surface of the metallographic sample to remove the oxide layer and impurities on the surface of the sample to reveal the true structure of the metal and alloy. There are many ways to grind, commonly used are:

•Manual grinding: Use sandpaper or grinding fluid and other grinding materials to manually grind the metallographic sample.

•Automatic grinding: Use an automatic mechanical grinding machine to grind the metallographic sample.

The grinding process is generally divided into four stages: rough grinding, medium grinding, fine grinding, and polishing. The purpose of rough grinding is to remove the oxide layer and impurities on the surface of the sample and make the surface of the sample flat; the purpose of medium grinding is to further remove the scratches on the surface of the sample and make the surface of the sample smoother; the purpose of fine grinding is to make the surface of the sample reach a near-mirror effect; the purpose of polishing is to make the surface of the sample brighter, making observation and analysis easier and more accurate.