Abrasive Sectioning - Abrasive sectioning is primarily used for ductile materials. Examples include metals, plastics, polymer matrix composites, metal matrix composites and rubbers. Proper selection of abrasive blades requires an understanding of the relationship between the abrasive particle, abrasive bonding and the specimen properties.

• Abrasive Type - Today's high performance abrasive blades use alumina abrasives because alumina is a moderately hard and relatively tough abrasive.
  
• Bonding Material - The hardness and wear characteristics of the specimen determine which resin system is the best for abrasive cutting. For hard materials, the specimen wears or breaks down the abrasive, thus to optimize sectioning, new abrasives must be constantly exposed. Therefore softer or more brittle resin systems must break down at a rate similar to how the abrasive fractures or dulls.

• Select the appropriate abrasive blade
• Secure specimen - improper clamping may result in blade and specimen damage
• Check coolant level and replace when low or excessively dirty. Since abrasive blades breakdown during cutting they produce a significant amount of debris.
• Allow blade to reach its operating speed before beginning the cut.
• A steady force or light pulsing action will produce the best cuts and minimize blade wear characteristics as well as the maintain sample integrity (no burning).

Lubrication during abrasive cutting and diamond wafer cutting are required to minimize damage and to remove the cutting debris or swarf. For abrasive cutters the proper cutting fluid can have the added benefit of coating the cast iron bases and fixtures to eliminate corrosion and rusting of the cutter.

Abrasive cutting fluid - The ideal cutting fluid for abrasive cutting is one that removes the cutting swarf and degraded abrasive blade material. It should have a relatively high flash point because of the sparks produced during abrasive sectioning.