Nickel-Based Superalloy
Purpose：Observe
the microstructure of nickel-based superalloys. Turbine engine blades, as one
of the most critical components in aerospace engines, largely determine engine
performance (higher turbine inlet temperatures result in greater thrust and
thrust-to-weight ratios). Metallographic inspection of material microstructure
during blade manufacturing is essential for quality control. Samples undergo
cutting (TableCut200), mounting (FLEXPRESS fully automatic modular hot mounting
machine), grinding/polishing (Alpha610), and etching with Marble’s reagent to
observe the microstructure.
Basic
Guide：
Cutting：1.Use
an A60 alumina abrasive cutting wheel for nickel-based superalloys. Refer to
the Trojan Cutting Guide for specific
models.
2.Select
pulse mode for cutting, with a recommended maximum cutting speed ≤0.25 mm/s.
Mounting：Use
high-edge-retention hot or cold mounting resin.
Grinding：1.Begin
with P400 silicon carbide sandpaper/lapping films until the sample surface is flat and cutting damage is
fully removed.
2.Continue
grinding with a POS disc + 9 µm polycrystalline diamond polishing suspension.
3.Clean
the sample, sample holder, and hands after each grinding step.
Polishing：1.Clean
the polishing cloth, sample holder, and hands before polishing. Repeat cleaning
after each step.
2.Do
not mix polishing disks with different
abrasive particle sizes.
3.Rinse
the sample surface with alcohol and dry with a blower to remove water residue.
4.After
each polishing step, inspect under a metallographic microscope to ensure
scratch size matches the abrasive grit and direction is random.
5.Clean
polishing cloths with running water and a soft brush after use, then air-dry.
6.Dedicate
polishing cloths used for nickel-based superalloys exclusively to such samples.
