Preparing carbon steel for metallographic analysis can be accomplished easily using OnPoint Abrasives' consumables and procedures. We have provided two step by step procedures for metallographic sample preparation of carbon steel below.
Sectioning: Section specimen with MultiSec abrasive blade or multi-purpose diamond blade.
Mounting: For best results, compression mount specimen using EpoMount epoxy powder. The high hardness of the epoxy will provide superior edge retention and promote flatness across the entire surface of the mount. 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 carbon steel specimen for analysis, Traditional Method and Advanced Method.
The Traditional Method uses a series of Silicon Carbide grinding papers to first planarize and then 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 Low Carbon Steel |
| Step # | Abrasive | Surface | Lube | Load/Sample | RPM | Time |
| 1 | 240 Grit SiC | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 6 lbs |
300 Base 100 Head |
Until Planar |
| 2 | 320 Grit SiC | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 6 lbs |
300 Base 100 Head |
01:00 |
| 3 | 400 Grit SiC | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 6 lbs |
300 Base 100 Head |
01:00 |
| 4 | 600 Grit SiC | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 6 lbs |
300 Base 100 Head |
01:00 |
| 5 | 800 Grit SiC | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 6 lbs |
300 Base 100 Head |
01:00 |
| 6 | 1200 Grit SiC | CarbiPro SiC | Water | 6 lbs |
300 Base 100 Head |
01:00 |
| 7 | 1µm Diamond Suspension | ProDac Cloth | Lube | 5 lbs |
150 Base 60 Head |
02:00 |
| 8 | FinalFloc Cloth | - | 5 lbs |
130 Base 60 Head |
03:00 |
Note: For the final step, alternate between AlumaPro alumina and ProPrep colloidal silica at 20 second intervals. Finish with a large dose of AlumaPro when 0:30 seconds remain. Clean specimen by gently wiping the surface with a cotton ball under running water. Repeat until all visible contamination is removed. Use of an ultrasonic cleaner is highly recommended for samples with high porosity content or intricate geometries.
| Advanced Method for Preparing Low Carbon Steel |
|
Step #
|
Abrasive
|
Surface
|
Lube
|
Load/Sample
|
RPM
|
Time
|
|
1
|
240 Grit SiC
|
Water
|
6 lbs
|
300 Base
100 Head
|
Until
Planar
|
|
|
1.1
|
Clean specimen/holder | Cotton Ball |
Water
|
-
|
- |
-
|
| 2 | 9µm Diamond Suspension | MasterPlan Cloth |
Water
|
5 lbs
|
300 Base
100 Head
|
02:00
|
|
2.1
|
Clean specimen/holder |
Cotton Ball
|
Water |
-
|
- |
-
|
| 3 | 3µm Diamond Suspension |
Water
|
5 lbs
|
300 Base
100 Head
|
02:00
|
|
|
3.1
|
Clean specimen/holder |
Cotton Ball
|
Water
|
-
|
- | - |
| 4 |
-
|
5 lbs
|
130 Base
60 Head
|
03:00
|
||
| 4.1 | Clean specimen/holder |
Cotton Ball
|
Water |
-
|
- | - |