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Copper - Metallographic Sample Preparation

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*

0.05µm Alumina

0.05µm ProPrep Colloidal Silica

 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*

0.05µm Alumina

0.05µm ProPrep Colloidal Silica

 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.

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MintPlus Polishing Cloth
MintPlus Polishing Cloth with PSA Backing 8in
$52.00 - $52.00
$52.00
$52.00 - $52.00
$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...

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$52.00 - $52.00
$52.00
$52.00 - $52.00
$52.00
phenolic mount black phenomount phenocure
phenolic mounting resin black phenomount phenocure
$29.00 - $29.00
$29.00
$29.00 - $29.00
$29.00

PhenoMount Black Phenolic 5 lbs

PhenoMount Black is a compression mounting powder for mounting metallographic specimens. This thermoset resin is used to obtain good edge retentio...

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$29.00 - $29.00
$29.00
$29.00 - $29.00
$29.00
phenolic mount black phenomount phenocure
phenolic mounting resin black phenomount phenocure
$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00
$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00

PhenoMount Black Phenolic Resin 25 lbs

PhenoMount Black is a compression mounting powder for mounting metallographic specimens. This thermoset resin is used to obtain good edge retention...

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$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00
$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00
phenolic mount green phenomount phenocure
phenolic mounting resin green phenomount phenocure
$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00
$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00

PhenoMount Green Phenolic 25 lbs

PhenoMount Green is a compression mounting powder for mounting metallographic specimens. This thermoset resin is used to obtain good edge retention...

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$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00
$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00
phenolic mounting resin green phenomount phenocure
phenolic mounting resin green phenomount phenocure
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00

PhenoMount Green Phenolic 5 lbs

PhenoMount Green is a compression mounting powder for mounting metallographic specimens. This thermoset resin is used to obtain good edge retention...

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$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
phenolic mount red phenomount phenocure
$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00
$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00

PhenoMount Red Phenolic 25 lbs

PhenoMount Red is a compression mounting powder for mounting metallographic specimens. This thermoset resin is used to obtain good edge retention d...

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$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00
$145.00 - $145.00
$145.00
phenolic mounting resin red phenomount phenocure
phenolic mounting resin green phenomount phenocure
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00

PhenoMount Red Phenolic 5 lbs

PhenoMount Red is a compression mounting powder for mounting metallographic specimens. This thermoset resin is used to obtain good edge retention ...

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$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
$33.00 - $33.00
$33.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$100.00 - $100.00
$100.00
$100.00 - $100.00
$100.00

PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 10in (254mm), 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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$100.00 - $100.00
$100.00
$100.00 - $100.00
$100.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$150.00 - $150.00
$150.00
$150.00 - $150.00
$150.00

PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 10in (254mm), 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...

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$150.00 - $150.00
$150.00
$150.00 - $150.00
$150.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00

PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 10in (254mm), PSA

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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$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00

PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 12in (305mm), 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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$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$240.00 - $240.00
$240.00
$240.00 - $240.00
$240.00

PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 12in (305mm), 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...

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$240.00 - $240.00
$240.00
$240.00 - $240.00
$240.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$140.00 - $140.00
$140.00
$140.00 - $140.00
$140.00

PlanarMesh Polishing Cloth, 12in (305mm), 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
$140.00 - $140.00
$140.00
$140.00 - $140.00
$140.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00

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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$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$110.00 - $110.00
$110.00
$110.00 - $110.00
$110.00

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
$110.00 - $110.00
$110.00
$110.00 - $110.00
$110.00
PlanarMesh polishing cloth, 12in, magnetic steel
$52.00 - $52.00
$52.00
$52.00 - $52.00
$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
$52.00 - $52.00
$52.00
$52.00 - $52.00
$52.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with Rubber Magnetic Backing 10in
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00

ProDac Polishing Cloth, 10in (254mm), 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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$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
$75.00 - $75.00
$75.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with Rubber Magnetic Backing 10in
$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00
$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00

ProDac Polishing Cloth, 10in (254mm), 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...

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$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00
$125.00 - $125.00
$125.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with PSA Backing 10in
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00

ProDac Polishing Cloth, 10in (254mm), PSA, 10/pkg

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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$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
$85.00 - $85.00
$85.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with Rubber Magnetic Backing 12in
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00

ProDac Polishing Cloth, 12in (305mm), 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...

View full details
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with Rubber Magnetic Backing 12in
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00

ProDac Polishing Cloth, 12in (305mm), 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
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00
$160.00 - $160.00
$160.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with PSA Backing 12in
$105.00 - $105.00
$105.00
$105.00 - $105.00
$105.00

ProDac Polishing Cloth, 12in (305mm), PSA, 10/pkg

ProDac is a soft, woven polishing cloth made from synthetic satin, designed for exceptional performance in intermediate to fine polishing stages o...

View full details
$105.00 - $105.00
$105.00
$105.00 - $105.00
$105.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with Rubber Magnetic Backing 12in
$55.00 - $55.00
$55.00
$55.00 - $55.00
$55.00

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...

View full details
$55.00 - $55.00
$55.00
$55.00 - $55.00
$55.00
ProDac Polishing Cloth
ProDac Polishing Cloth with Rubber Magnetic Backing 12in
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00

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
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00
$90.00 - $90.00
$90.00