Metallography Preparation

Listed below is the equipment and chemicals for the mounting, cutting, and polishing of samples for metallographic or Scanning electron microscopy analysis. This wide range of techniques is suitable for the assessment of the physical, mechanically work hardened, chemical and grain structure of different metals.

• Samples can be cold or hot mounted. The auto-polishing unit allows up to 3 samples per session to be polished through five lapping and polishing stages.
• For thin plated samples, an Electroless nickel top coating can be applied prior to mounting and sectioning. (The nickel layer supports the plated layer during sectioning and gives an unambiguous layer thickness result).
• The Leitz metallurgical microscope has magnifications of 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 times, and is capable of conversion to transmission as well as reflection modes.

Metallurgical Preparation Equipment:

• Polyester and Epoxy cold resin kits
• Phenolic thermoset resin hot pressing kit
• Slow speed diamond saw
• Buehler Automated polishing/ preparation unit
• Polishing bench (2)
• Grinding bench
• Leitz metallurgical microscope (Calibrated graticule)
• Electroless nickel plating facilities
• Glass polishing equipment
• SEM facilities

Our site expert on Metallography preparation is Keith Raper.