Grinding
In metallographic sample preparation, metallographic grinding is a crucial step for planarizing the surface of embedded specimens. This process employs abrasives—com-monly grinding paper or diamond grinding discs—fixed on the grinding wheel to remove excess material from the speci-men's surface, achieving the desired surface condition. Typically, the grinding procedure consists of coarse grinding, medium grinding, and fine grinding stages. Proper selection of grinding equipment and consumables will streamline and enhance the efficiency of the grinding process.
Polishing
Metallographic polishing involves placing a small amount of polishing powder or slurry onto a polishing cloth, then positioning the specimen on the rotating cloth. The objective is to eliminate surface deformation and scratches from the grinding process, achieving a scratch-free mirror finish suitable for microscopic structural analysis under a met-allurgical microscope.