Copper - Metallographic Sample Preparation
Copper can be prepared for metallographic analysis easily using OnPoint Abrasives' consumable supplies and procedures. Below is a guide for preparing copper samples containing >95% Cu.
Sectioning: Section specimen with TitanSec abrasive blade or multi-purpose diamond blade.
Mounting: Compression mount specimen using PhenoMount phenolic powder. Phenolic mounting compounds are available in black, green, and red color. For samples that require castable mounting, we recommend using EpoPro liquid epoxy system.
Grinding and Polishing: In this section, we've provided two methods for preparing your copper specimen for analysis, Traditional Method and Advanced Method.
The Traditional Method uses a series of Silicon Carbide grinding papers to first planarize and grind the surface to around 3-5 micron (1200 grit), before moving to polishing steps using suspensions and cloths. This method is effective for general purpose metallography, although it can introduce some relief, or rounding of the specimen's edge.
| TRADITIONAL METHOD FOR PREPARING COPPER FOR METALLOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS |
| Step | Abrasive | Surface | Lube | Load/Sample | RPM | Time |
| 1 | 240 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 5 lbs | 200 | Planar |
| 2 | 320 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 5 lbs | 200 | 1:00 |
| 3 | 400 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 4 lbs | 200 | 1:00 |
| 4 | 600 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 4 lbs | 200 | 1:00 |
| 5 | 800 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 4 lbs | 200 | 1:00 |
| 6 | 1200 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 4 lbs | 200 | 1:00 |
| 7 | 1µm Alumina | UltraViolet Cloth | Lubricant/Extender | 4 lbs | 150 | 2:00 |
| 8* | FinalFloc Cloth | - | 4 lbs | 150 | 2:00 |
*For the final step, alternate between the alumina and ProPrep colloidal silica at 20 second intervals. Finish with a large dose of alumina when 0:30 seconds remain.
Note: Clean specimen by gently scrubbing the surface with a cotton ball under running water. Repeat until all alumina is removed. Use of an ultrasonic cleaner is highly recommended for samples with high porosity content or intricate geometries.
Our Advanced Method uses one or two steps of SiC grinding paper to initially planarize the mounted specimen. This is followed by a series of "loose" abrasive polishing steps that utilize diamond and alumina suspensions along with polishing cloths. The less aggressive nature of this method preserves the specimen's edge and produces ultra-flat results. This can be critical for analysis such as coating thickness measurements or samples that are examined near the specimen's edge. It is viewed by many that the "advanced" methods of preparation offer superior results and higher consistency when compared to traditional methods.
|
ADVANCED METHOD FOR PREPARING COPPER FOR METALLOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS
|
| Step # | Abrasive | Surface | Lube |
Load/Sample |
RPM | Time |
| 1 | 180 or 240 Grit | CarbiPro SIC | Water | 5 lbs | 200 | Planar |
| 2 | 320 Grit | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 5 lbs | 200 | 2:00 |
| 3 | 9µm Diamond | MasterPlan Cloth |
Lubricant/Extender |
4 lbs | 150 | 5:00 |
| 4 | 3µm Alumina | UltraViolet Cloth | Lubricant/Extender | 4 lbs | 150 | 3:00 |
| 5* | FinalFloc Cloth | - | 4 lbs | 150 | 2:00 |
*For the final step, alternate between the alumina and ProPrep colloidal silica at 20 second intervals. Finish with a large dose of alumina when 0:30 seconds remain.
Note: Clean specimen by gently scrubbing the surface with a cotton ball under running water. Repeat until all alumina is removed. Use of an ultrasonic cleaner is highly recommended for samples with high porosity content or intricate geometries.
Original price
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$95.00
ChemPro Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
ChemPro is a dense, porous, non-woven cloth designed for high-performance materials preparation. With its fine, porous polyurethane surface, ChemPr...
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Original price
$95.00
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$95.00
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$140.00
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$140.00
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$140.00
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$140.00
ChemPro Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
ChemPro is a dense, porous, non-woven cloth designed for high-performance materials preparation. With its fine, porous polyurethane surface, ChemPr...
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Original price
$140.00
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Original price
$140.00
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$140.00
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$140.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
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$75.00
ChemPro Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
ChemPro is a dense, porous, non-woven cloth designed for high-performance materials preparation. With its fine, porous polyurethane surface, ChemPr...
View full details
Original price
$75.00
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Original price
$75.00
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$55.00
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$55.00
FinalFloc Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
FinalFloc is a soft, long-nap polishing cloth made from synthetic fibers, designed for exceptional final polishing across a wide range of materials...
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$55.00
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$55.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
FinalFloc Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
FinalFloc is a soft, long-nap polishing cloth made from synthetic fibers, designed for exceptional final polishing across a wide range of materials...
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$52.00
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FinalFloc Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
FinalFloc is a soft, long-nap polishing cloth made from synthetic fibers, designed for exceptional final polishing across a wide range of materials...
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$55.00
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$55.00
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$55.00
MasterPlan Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
MasterPlan is a durable, hard, woven polishing cloth made from coated polyester, designed for superior performance in metallographic sample prepara...
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Original price
$55.00
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$55.00
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$55.00
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$55.00
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$55.00
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$90.00
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Original price
$90.00
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$90.00
$90.00
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$90.00
Current price
$90.00
MasterPlan Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
MasterPlan is a durable, hard, woven polishing cloth made from coated polyester, designed for superior performance in metallographic sample prepara...
View full details
Original price
$90.00
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Original price
$90.00
Original price
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
MasterPlan Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
MasterPlan is a durable, hard, woven polishing cloth made from coated polyester, designed for superior performance in metallographic sample prepara...
View full details
Original price
$52.00
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Original price
$52.00
Original price
$52.00
$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$55.00
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MintPlus Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
MintPlus is a napped polishing cloth made from durable synthetic fibers, designed for efficient, one-step polishing of steels and sintered carbides...
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$55.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
MintPlus Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
MintPlus is a napped polishing cloth made from durable synthetic fibers, designed for efficient, one-step polishing of steels and sintered carbides...
View full details
Original price
$90.00
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Original price
$90.00
Original price
$90.00
$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
Original price
$52.00
$52.00
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$52.00
Current price
$52.00
MintPlus Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
MintPlus is a napped polishing cloth made from durable synthetic fibers, designed for efficient, one-step polishing of steels and sintered carbides...
View full details
Original price
$52.00
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Original price
$52.00
Original price
$52.00
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$85.00
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PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
PlanarMesh is a unique metal mesh pad that provides excellent flatness on hard materials while preserving the specimen's edge. Specifically designe...
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PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
PlanarMesh is a unique metal mesh pad that provides excellent flatness on hard materials while preserving the specimen's edge. Specifically designe...
View full details
Original price
$110.00
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$110.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
PlanarMesh is a unique metal mesh pad that provides excellent flatness on hard materials while preserving the specimen's edge. Specifically designe...
View full details
Original price
$52.00
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Original price
$52.00
Original price
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$55.00
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ProDac Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
ProDac is a soft, woven polishing cloth made from synthetic satin, designed for exceptional performance in intermediate to fine polishing stages on...
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$55.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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ProDac Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
ProDac is a soft, woven polishing cloth made from synthetic satin, designed for exceptional performance in intermediate to fine polishing stages on...
View full details
Original price
$90.00
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Original price
$90.00
Original price
$90.00
$90.00
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$90.00
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$52.00
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Original price
$52.00
Original price
$52.00
$52.00
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$52.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
ProDac is a soft, woven polishing cloth made from synthetic satin, designed for exceptional performance in intermediate to fine polishing stages on...
View full details
Original price
$52.00
-
Original price
$52.00
Original price
$52.00
$52.00
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$52.00
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$52.00
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$55.00
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RedFelt Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
RedFelt is a soft, napped polishing cloth made from durable wool fibers. Its versatile design makes it a common choice for both intermediate and fi...
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Original price
$55.00
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$55.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
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RedFelt Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
RedFelt is a soft, napped polishing cloth made from durable wool fibers. Its versatile design makes it a common choice for both intermediate and fi...
View full details
Original price
$90.00
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Original price
$90.00
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RedFelt Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), PSA
RedFelt is a soft, napped polishing cloth made from durable wool fibers. Its versatile design makes it a common choice for both intermediate and fi...
View full details
Original price
$58.00
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$58.00
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$55.00
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ShortFinal Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
ShortFinal is an exceptionally soft, low-nap cloth designed for final polishing. The low profile of the rayon fibers minimizes relief or edge round...
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Original price
$55.00
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$55.00
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$90.00
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$90.00
Original price
$90.00
$90.00
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$90.00
ShortFinal Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Steel Back
ShortFinal is an exceptionally soft, low-nap cloth designed for final polishing. The low profile of the rayon fibers minimizes relief or edge round...
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Original price
$90.00
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Original price
$90.00
Original price
$90.00
$90.00
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$55.00
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SimpleNylon Polishing Cloth, 8in (203mm), Magnetic Rubber Back
SimpleNylon is a medium-hard, woven polishing cloth with no nap, designed for fast material removal and excellent flatness during coarse polishing ...
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